Retrograde
by hanareader
Summary: Kakashi is back somehow, and he knows exactly what this kid is capable. Except he still can't kill him. (The time travel AU where Sasuke isn't taught the Chidori for the exams. A puppy ninken... Kakashi wishes this was enough.)
1. Chapter 1

He's late again.

Of course he is, Sasuke thinks to himself as he stuffs his hands in his pockets against the morning cold. It's not like he expected any different from the man but Kakashi is someone so random, so unexpected that he didn't want today to be the day to come early and Sasuke's not there.

At least that's what he always tells himself. To be honest it's a matter of personal preference. A strong ninja is always punctual, always first. And Sasuke will be first. He knows Kakashi appears to be the exception to the rule (and how it irks him, the constant tardiness and he knows Hatake enjoys pissing him off) but most likely the man is just an outlier. Or trying to trick him and any watching ninja, make them underestimate. It could however be some obscure mark of greatness, that the side quirks and stupidity and leaving-students-out-in-the-cold-5:00am-mornings-tardiness come with time, fighting experience, and age.

Gods, Sasuke hopes not. He kicks a stray rock in his irritation and his self-flagellation for not having brought warmer clothing. He had thought they would've gone straight to training anyway: the usual blood-pumping warm-up before practicing the Sharingan. It made sense here at the great boulder, a little ways outside the village, the same place where they always practice clan techniques hidden from prying enemies. It's a secluded spot, hard to get to unless you know what you're looking for and rare for sunlight to shine into sensitive eyes. Sasuke's looking forward to learning how to better his taijutsu and maybe even extend his Sharingan longer than an hour…

The wind whips loudly, driving up dew-covered leaves and slamming them against his face. Sasuke spits out a leaf and shuts his eyes from any incoming dirt. A loud sneeze erupts. He shivers.

He mustnot get sick. Otherwise, he'll never escape the hospital.

Still, the Uchiha's sorely tempted to head back home to his comfortable, toasty-warm bed. It's not like any of his team have missions any more, not with the second part of the Chuunin exams coming up. Plus he'd rather conserve his strength, if he can't improve it. The fight with that man, that foreigner ninja (Sasuke itches to rub the mark off his neck but he's already tried) scared the living soul out of him and he hopes to never see that snake creep again. Despite his Sharingan's eidetic memory, he still doesn't remember exactly what happened. All that he knows is that Sakura's never looked at him the same since. She steps around him, wide and considerate - afraid, as if he were going to do something.

But what? Sasuke frowns, his face stiff in the frozen air, slow to move and make expressions. This time when he sneezes it hurts, it's dry and his nose is red at the tip. Sasuke wipes with the sleeve of his arm. Where is Hatake?

It takes him another ten minutes because even Kakashi is late to respond to his internal monologues, but the ninja appears before him in a shushin. A cloud of white and leaves buffer against his skin. Sasuke glares. "Would it kill you to come early?"

"Maa, there was a line of wild turkeys in the road and I had to wait for all of them to pass."

 _You shushinned here!_

"Whatever." Sasuke fights to keep his thoughts to himself and his expression neutral. He can tell by the growing eye-crinkle that his struggle is apparent. "What are we practicing?"

"Ah, right," the great Copy-Cat ninja says as he bookmarks his Icha-Icha. "I forgot to tell you. We're not going to train."

 _What?_ Sasuke growls and his Sharingan activates. He can't believe he woke up early for this-!

"Calm down, calm down, you're not here for nothing." His eyes deactivate. Reluctantly. "Today I'm going to teach you the greatest move I know."

Despite himself, Sasuke's heart skips. He may not have seen the move Kakashi used against Zabuza but Naruto has talked about it. Raikiri. It was the move that took out Haku - the chakra-charged ' _hand-lightning'_ , he had said - a move that few who ever see it live to speak of. And that's all that Sasuke needs to know. Naruto told him that Kakashi had said it was something the man had taught himself, created himself, without copying with his Sharingan.

But Sasuke doesn't care about all that. It killed Haku as it would've killed Zabuza. That means it's strong. Incredibly powerful. Just the thing that could bring him ever closer to Itachi.

He nearly smiles.

"Now this a dangerous move to use and takes great skill to master. Even with your clan's doujutsu." His sensei stares at him, hard and considering. "And I know your goal is to kill your brother."

Sasuke growls. "He is not my brother."

"Excuse me, Uchiha Itachi, I meant to say. This move will help you achieve your goal." Sasuke visibly perks, at least what constitutes as showing interest for him. He focuses his gaze on the masked man before him, meeting a heavy-lidded eye directly. "But you mustn't forget your friends. This move must be used sparingly when in danger and you must always use it to protect those important to you."

"Yes, I understand." _I get it already, would you finally get around teaching?_

"Hm, I'm sure you do," Kakashi says with a knowing look until he turns his attention to his neck. "How's the seal?"

"Fine," Sasuke says curtly, refusing to admit that at nights it burns. He wakes up after his nightmares which were already painful to begin with only to suffer more for the fact that he's utilized a lot of chakra in his sleep. Chakra use always aggravates the curse seal.

Sharingan, and its perfect recall memory and single-mindedness to replay all the worst things when he's in bed. What a double-edged sword.

"Hm. Alright. If you are willing I will teach you the move now."

Kakashi stares at him and it's always been eerie with one eye. Sasuke activates his Sharingan. "No, don't. This is not a move you learn with your eyes," he says and Sasuke listens. He waits impatiently.

"Patience, Sasuke, and watch but don't copy."

Kakashi proceeds to move. Not so fast that his normal eyes can't track, the older ninja pulls out a large ninja scroll. He unlatches it open and it's long – long enough to wrap around the man several times. Kakashi keeps it from hitting the floor, he whips and twirls the paper beautifully and in perfect form to keep it from folding. He's however, distinctly not holding a hand with a heavy stance and collecting immense amounts of blue lightening chakra to aim at the nearest enemy.

Che.

Once Kakashi is done twirling (what stupid theatrics), he nicks a cut onto his thumb. He runs the bloodied digit along the length of the scroll and it poofs out of existence. "There's nothing here."

"Patience, Sasuke."

"That's a summoning scroll," he says aloud, lamely.

"Mm."

"You want me to learn how to summon." Kakashi nods.

"That's your 'greatest move'. The most 'dangerous'?"

"Ah! Here he is," Kakashi says and his body blocks his sight when he crouches to… scoop something off the ground?

"Maa, Sasuke-kun, here is what I wanted to teach you," he says right before offering him something in his hand. Whatever it is it's ridiculously small, smells awful-strong like wet hair, and furry. It twitches alive in gloved hands, tan and dirty. When Sasuke stares for too long, too shocked and angry and upset, the little ugly thing notices and faces him. It whines pitifully loud. He thinks it's… crying.

It's a puppy.

* * *

Out of all the things he could've been taught: tree-walking, water-dragon jutsu if not the famed raikiri, hell, even the academy katas! He's given a freaking wet and recently weaned, ugly-looking puppy.

Sasuke deadpans. "What is that."

Kakashi smiles under his mask. "It's a puppy."

"Why is that thing _here_."

"Sasuke," Kakashi starts, and right now the Uchiha itches to run away before his sentence can finish. He is definitely not going to like what comes out of the man's mouth. "This is good training for you."

He sees red.

"Is this a joke?" Inflamed, Sasuke glares and he refuses to look at it. "You expect this _stuffed animal_ to help me fight against Gaara of the Sand in the exams? Against-" he swallows and attempts to keep down his growing panic. He will not show fear. "Orochimaru."

Kakashi nods. "Mm. And-"

"And Itachi. You actually believe that this useless thing will help me defeat him. You're insane." He looks at his sensei disbelieving and his brows furrow in disappointment. He's confused. He doesn't know what kind of connection the ninja has made between a dog and avenging his clan but he thought… he had thought this man was on his side, would help him, and even if Hatake never wanted him to get revenge he at least grasped why.

"I'm going home," Sasuke says, pissed at the turn of his morning. He stuffs clenched fists deeper into his pockets and keeps a hard line to his mouth. He refuses to talk about this anymore.

"No, you're not," Kakashi orders and even his serious tones drawl lazily.

"I don't want it."

He gets a raised eyebrow. "You would refuse a lesson from your sensei?"

" _I don't want it._ "

The thing whines at him.

"Sasuke." Kakashi hugs the dog to the bridge between his neck and shoulder comforting it, and the puppy hiccups and nuzzles closer. He rubs its back idly. Sasuke's eyes narrow. "This isn't about wanting it or not. I'm offering you something very important to me, no one else has made a contract with any of my ninken and you are the first to do so."

Pointing at the cuddled bundle of fur, he says. "That's not one of yours."

"That is correct, Sasuke." Kakashi smiles.

He gestures angrily. "What am I supposed to do with it anyway, huh? It's a puppy."

"That is also an astute observation."

"Stop mocking me!" he barks and in response the little dog starts to cry. Despite himself, Sasuke deflates.

"One of my ninken has had young," Kakashi explains as he hugs the dog closer. He bounces the poor thing like a baby. "This pup is the only one with developed chakra coils: the rest were normal dogs. I raised my ninken myself even before I was your age. I'm giving this puppy to you so that you may do the same."

"How many times do I have to say I do not want it?" Sasuke glares as if he could force the man to stop whatever this is. He hates this dog already, he just wants to get more power and not be held back by an animal. A baby animal. "I don't have the time to train a ninken and even if I did, it would remain utterly useless in a fight."

"Aa, you need to get stronger in order to kill your brother," Kakashi drones boredly.

Sasuke growls. " _Itachi._ And we both know what happened to Lee…" He looks at his sensei now, studying intently as if he could find the logical reason and answer behind all this within a lazy eye. There was always something underneath the underneath, Kakashi never let him down before. He was always ahead of the game and the smartest, the most prized ninja of their village and yet...

The man wears more than one mask.

Sasuke's angry glare and pursed mouth loosens, twisting uncomfortably into confused hurt. His heart constricts, knots strained-tight in his chest. His brain is _pounding_. He doesn't know what Kakashi could be thinking. This is such a stupid, stupid move and Sasuke just… he doesn't understand. His sensei is a blank mask before him not telling of anything.

If the man doesn't teach him a better jutsu: Naruto, Sakura… "If I use this thing in the exams it'll die. We'll both die."

He hesitates to think this but his ninja mind makes connections against his will. _Was this what you wanted?_

"Maa, you're right."

Sasuke's stomach drops. His breath hitches in his throat cutting off his supply of cold-dry air, and despite himself, bitterly against himself, he feels betrayed.

Sasuke knows Gaara of the Sand. He's seen the kid – the genin who effortlessly sneaked past his perch on the tree. The same genin who defeated Lee in the preliminaries. Unfortunately, he's roomed with Rock in Konoha Hospital and saw what resulted… and what he saw wasn't pretty. This man however, knowingly chooses to send him to the same fate. "-as you are now, you will lose."

He tries to feel even a bit inflamed, to take the insult on behalf of the Uchiha. Pull a Naruto who'd never hesitate to defend himself and stand up for his "number-one rookie" abilities…

But he can't. Ever since the Forest of Death and that man, and the snakes and the stupidly painful bite, he can't feel too much of anything. He was terrified; he's still terrified. For once his nightmares star a different enemy than his brother and he would be grateful for the reprieve if it wasn't so horrifying. He's already lost and should that grass - no, sound ninja - come back… who's going to defend his teammates in addition to an inexperienced puppy ninken? How will he survive past this match?

He looks at the tiny creature, how it shivers delicately in the cold air and he sees death. "Then teach-me." He could beg.

 _Please._

Kakashi stares at him coldly. He pulls the dog away from his neck and the pup wriggles in his hands. Sasuke's eyes can't help but to track the motion and he watches as the masked man simply offers up the creature to him for the second time.

Struggling and scrambling, the little tan and white animal suddenly freezes. It stares up at him dolefully with full dark eyes and a twitching, wet black nose. It yawns cutely, revealing tiny incisor canine teeth that Sasuke knows won't grow in for another few months. Sasuke doesn't intend to be there when it does.

"Kakashi," he says because he's been the only one to refuse calling him 'sensei'. At least, out loud. "Why?"

"-you could say that I've been ordered to do so by the Hokage."

 _'In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, that's true, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum.'_

Sasuke swallows. He presses his mouth so close together to clamp the scream down, down, down! inside him. Silently, he accepts the animal. He coughs and keeps his thoughts to himself.

"...yes, sir."


	2. Chapter 2

He doesn't move. The ninja stills in the cold air, frozen against the backdrop of a cloudy night. It's quiet. The moon is still up and will remain so for another long four hours. By then hopefully, he would've come to a decision.

He stays now, stands with both hands along his kunai and the cold metal is warmer than the skin of his palms. His issued Jounin jacket is no longer enough, enough to protect him from what he intends to do. There's only wind, darkness and the eerie silence of the night that refuse to hint a sign of what should be his next move. And yet, something sent him back.

Who, Kakashi doesn't know and goosebumps run along his skin in irritation. It's infuriating. This being has the gall to return him to his past without a guideline of what to do. It has the nerve to choose him out of all people, to fix the future.

If that. Who's to guarantee he won't make it worse?

Kakashi thinks of orange goggles and rocks and that it chose wrong, the wrong person and the wrong time. He thinks he's been pulled too late. He remembers as the memories hit him then, only a few months prior when he first accepts the team that is Team 7 and cements his knowing.

 _'You all… pass!'_

He said, he lied, and he remembered feeling happy. Minato's son, Obito's cousin… the two were both entrusted on his team and he could finally redeem himself in their eyes. Maybe, gods, just maybe even move on. But rather than the joyful swarm of having students that can teamwork even if only barely, he froze in his masked smile. His mind had aligned with a click.

Sasuke defected. (Will defect. Defects, Kakashi doesn't know which anymore.)

And then his student threatens the whole Leaf Village Konoha, attacks his teammates Naruto and _Sakura_ …

So he pretends. Going on pretending that it was fake and that it was just a day-dream, Kakashi continues to teach his team. He pointedly refuses to give any credit to the adjustment that was his mind because time travel is impossible and there's no way he could know the future. He looks at his students then and now, and he could never believe what Sasuke could become. Unfortunately events followed as was their due.

Like before, Sasuke along with Naruto work together and risk all to save him. Kakashi wasn't supposed to feel anything again because he's a ninja, he's only but a soldier, yet against all odds he does. He worries, he's proud and he's fooled for the millionth time that the kid is still his. Sasuke's not. Maybe never was.

It was an achievement of teamwork that they had to have in order to enter the Chuunin Exams, at least by Kakashi's standards. Naruto asks Sakura advice to chakra-climb a tree, the first to ask help from a teammate. Sakura, he knew and got to see again, overcome her fear of danger and choose the Chuunin Exams for the second time. It makes his heart swell impossibly larger, this civilian girl who took another chance for his Team 7.

And Sasuke, rookie-of-the-year, who "died". Twice. The greatest sacrifice of all.

Maybe he didn't realize the significance then but knowing the extent of his revenge: it shouldn't change anything. But now that he knows… it does everything.

Kakashi berates himself as he already is, standing in the cold this entire night. He shouldn't have stupidly allowed them in the exams but he's a coward. Always been one, regardless of what life he's in. As if the future could get any worse if he had pulled his team out but gods, he didn't want to underestimate the scale of his mistakes-

Rin and Obito and Minato. Not again, no more.

He's tired and he's terrified. And he wants to so desperately believe this is all just a trick. So Kakashi lets them go, foolishly believes in the lie that is his mind because these kids are still his. Not a nightmare. He lets Orochimaru get Sasuke.

Kakashi chose to not act and let his hesitations bind him, allowed the sannin the chance. And Sasuke _hurt_. He practically stood at the sidelines and watched as his student cried out in pain from the bite. Again-again when he has to add his own seal to keep the dark chakra from acting up every time the Uchiha needs to use ninjutsu.

But that's the last. As Kakashi stands here to prepare, he forces himself to face the facts. He knows his mission, knows why he's returned. Knew from the beginning. Avoiding the problem isn't going to get him anywhere, he thinks bitterly and tightens the fist that holds his kunai. Now, he waits.

* * *

Sasuke comes at exactly 4:45am, early as expected. He walks with hands stuffed in his pockets against the morning cold, permanent scowl on his face. Sleep-heavy eyes rubbed raw, nose red and itchy - Sasuke fights to stay awake Kakashi can tell. He's in his black training outfit, bandaged leg-warmers, weapons pouch on his back right. He's young. He's compromised.

 _Now!_ Kakashi yells within the confines of his mind, sharp and demanding. An order. It's an order that his body refuses to follow and he remains rooted to his position, legs frozen in their stance. His student peruses his surroundings casually, so innocent that Kakashi's hands shake as they hold the kunai.

He's late.

5-o-clock comes around, the second time he tries for the kill and fails. 5:15. This is his mission and he's continually disobeying his orders, letting his other students _Sakura, Naruto_ … He shuts his eyes tight and holds in the air for one second, two. When he inhales sharply, his breath sounds wet.

Sasuke sneezes.

The noise is abrupt against his thoughts, loud in the isolated rock-clearing, sudden and scary. Kakashi, despite his anbu training, jolts minutely and gasps deep inside his throat. Then he hates himself and punishes, narrows his eyes on the child he's targeted. Time to engage the enemy.

He shushins because he doesn't trust his legs, makes the signs fast enough that his chakra can't be returned. When he appears before his student - that student - he cements both their fates. His first decisive action towards the future. Well; his future as a criminal.

"Would it kill you to come early?" Little Sasuke asks, irritated and blinded by the poof of smoke, his voice higher and tinnier than he remembers. Kakashi quickly hides his hand in his kunai pouch, switching his weapon with his Icha Icha. His chest hurts and he's a coward.

 _'Yes,'_ he wants to confess because it would absolutely kill him to complete his mission so soon, so late.

And he is late, he let Orochimaru make his move and allowed the past to repeat itself. Kakashi can argue logically that the sannin would've claimed Sasuke either way - the exams was but just a means - and the ex-Konoha nin would have the Sharingan: Sasuke, if he couldn't Itachi. Himself even, for that matter. But those are just excuses, niggling voices in his head.

He could've spared his student before killing him. Instead, he let Sasuke weaken him for the second time.

Kakashi makes up some lie about turkeys and fully enjoys himself as much as he even could, when the youngest Uchiha's face ( _like Obito, so much like Obito_ ) scrunches up in pout. Sasuke was never so small.

He goes through the motions as per his previous life when he blessedly didn't know. The spiel that apparently washed over Sasuke the last time, and his student's impatience is tangible. This incites him, he wants to strangle this kid as if enough force could teach him the depths of what he feels. Kakashi's not one for passionate emotion because he's not Naruto, but for once he can relate.

He wants to break every bone in Sasuke's body and keep him safe, his team safe, stayed in the village, he knows the future he can take care of everything else alone. This dream of his is impossible, Kakashi knows this. He learns the hard way and he looks at his student again. Sasuke appears unsettled, he reacts with his Sharingan almost as if he can instinctually read of his killing intent-

"No, don't." _Don't remind me._ "This is not a move you learn with your eyes." And Sasuke listens when he most shouldn't. So little, so trusting.

Kakashi has to look away. He refuses to teach his kid, the kid, Chidori because that was the move that- He swallows as he reaches for his weapons pouch. His fingers brush against the kunai from earlier, the metal cold and electric shocking to the core. The part of him that is ninja sparks awake, as does the part that iswas a teacher. He hesitates.

Back then, Kakashi's trusted Sasuke with his strongest move, he had no reason not to. There was nothing to lead to what the Uchiha could become… he was always loyal and he's proved himself multiple, upon multiple times. Of course, his revenge was disconcerting and worrying but Kakashi understood - he himself was last from a clan too.

Now he knows the truth. Despite his ninjutsu prowess, Sasuke is not and never was mentally or emotionally capable of wielding this kind of power. He will not hand him the weapon that was used against him and his team. This is the one thing he refuses to repeat.

Kakashi digs further past the kunai for his summoning scroll. No; he may not be able to complete his mission (today) but neither will he standby any longer. Sasuke came to him to learn and Kakashi intends to teach.

* * *

Understandably, his student is upset.

" _I don't want it._ "

The elder ninja could roll his eye in exasperation if he didn't know that such an action would be of no help at this time. Sasuke has his usual glare with added intensity, focused and narrowed onto the innocent puppy in his hands. Kakashi, he pulls the dog closer, staking his claim because although those eyes may currently be empty of the Sharingan he won't let his ninken become collateral.

Kakashi smooths the dog's fur down reverently and frowns. Good intentions or not, he's a hypocrite. He's still giving this dog to _him_.

It's painful and stinging that whatever god gave him the future didn't deign to give him any way to do something about it. He's done if he trusts Sasuke with his Chidori like last time, and repeat his past. He's done if he does nothing, ignoring and walking away like he did with Orochimaru, like he does later-

And he's damned if he even attempts to teach Sasuke what true power is, this unlucky ninken that is soon to be sacrificed.

Because - as he hands the dog in offering to his student, who is the last and first person that needs teaching - this is a waste. Sasuke's right that he's soon to die against Gaara, any fool could see that. His ninken will follow. It burns to watch his student come to the right conclusions he can see it in open, dark eyes that gaze up at him with suspicion. It hurts that his mission could be complete.

He doesn't want it to be. Kakashi fights to keep his lips thinned shut under his mask and keep himself from admitting what he knows. Because he is on his side, he's always for his students, he wants to defend and protect Sasuke and his ninken and his team 7. But fortunatelyunfortunately before that he's too good of a ninja; Kakashi was a Hokage. He's not Naruto, he's not Sakura, his _stupid,_ _stupid_ kids-

If his ninken notices how his fingers shake holding him he doesn't bark and tell. He lets Sasuke have him and Kakashi hands itch to take him back. His fingers feel cold. He somehow stretches a lazy smile under his mask. "Ahh, Sasuke, don't worry. He won't bite."

The little Uchiha frowns. "He doesn't even have much teeth."

That is true, Kakashi thinks to himself as he watches his student attempt to hold the puppy properly. Sasuke, his hands trained only to wield weapons and make signs, struggles to cradle a small animal. He clenches soft fur too tight, winding the ninken's ribcage. The puppy cries out and makes sharp, little barks.

Those same hands that pulled _his chidori on everyone,_

"He doesn't… for now," Kakashi takes a chance to adjust the dog closer to Sasuke. "Don't be afraid to hold him closer, it'll be easier."

He should practice what he preaches.

Sasuke's eyes turn downcast but he does as he says. Kakashi pulls out his Icha Icha. "Well, for now I must go return to my duties. I'll send you a scroll of the basics, though a lot of things you must plan out yourself: depending on your 'needs'." The ninja holds in a scoff, turning a well-worn page. "Make sure you don't forget to name him. I'm leaving that honor with you."

"Hn." Sasuke says, the dog close to his chest. Kakashi looks at him in the moment.

"Treat him well," he says. But the Uchiha isn't looking. His eyes glare onto the dog as if he's tackling another hard problem. One that he can't solve.

Kakashi bows his head morosely as he makes the needed hand signs. Great, now he's successfully accomplished the opposite of his intentions - ensured the last Uchiha's future defection. Because truthfully, without the Chidori and its promised power, what could possibly convince Sasuke to stay?

He disappears in the smoke. _Poof._


	3. Chapter 3

_What do I do with this?_ Sasuke lifts the pup in his hands – up, down, up, down – and the lightness of weight is mind-boggling.

He hasn't moved from his place where he stood, where Kakashi first gave him the ninken to begin with. The puppy also doesn't move and it remains silent as he inspects its small body, his eyes following the stocky limbs and leathery paws. He thumbs soft furred chest, his other fingers intertwined around the back of the animal. Through his digits, Sasuke can feel a fast heartbeat.

"Arf!"

The Uchiha nearly drops the animal in surprise and only last minute chakra control catches the pup before it falls to the ground. Dogs are not cats and the thing he holds is only but a puppy - who knows how it'll land.

"-gods, shut up," Sasuke mutters as he attempts to calm his racing heart. The dog struggles and wiggles in his palms, and its fur is soft-slippery. It makes a complaining noise. "Okay, okay." he kneels, lowering himself closer to the ground. Immediately, the puppy jumps out of his hands.

…He's not ugly, Sasuke concedes when the animal turns to look up at him with large, dark eyes. The ninken is arguably the cutest of Kakashi's, its face shape different from Kiba's Akamaru. With wide wolf-like features and a generous growth of facial fur, he's softer-looking than most ninken. Sasuke's mouth twists as he studies the waiting animal further.

Unfortunately, he's ridiculously fluffy.

The ninken looks more like a rich, decorative pet than a summoning contract-partner. The dog is two-toned, white along the front chest and jaw, brown throughout the back and tail. Exception being two patches where eyebrows are supposed to be; there, it's stark pale fur against tan. It's tiny, Uchiha frowns. He doesn't look threatening at all.

"Inu?" Sasuke tries. "Ninken? Puppy?"

"Arf!" He palms over his ears, cringing visibly. The dog's barks are way too sharp.

"Then what? Shiba? Konoha?" Twirling before him once, the pup growls high-pitched. It stops and waits with a wagging tail.

A single dark eyebrow twitches. "You've got to be kidding me," Sasuke groans. He closes tired eyes, he really should've stayed in bed today, and rubs at his imminent headache. When he looks back at the animal, the odd-shaped eyebrows stand out. Like two small eggs, the feature makes it look more intelligent than it actually is: distinctively more human. Sasuke hums in thought.

"Shiro?" he names after those same white eyebrows and the puppy barks more excitedly, running around in circles like an idiot. Sasuke's mouth twitches.

"Shiro, it is."

* * *

When the two of them, Shiro and Sasuke arrive home, the former distinctly choosing to walk himself much to the latter's twitching annoyance at their pace (the dog apparently has the compulsive need to sniff-investigate _everything_ ), they find a scroll at the front of the house.

Sasuke picks it up while the ninken it was intended for scurries around the grounds, exploring the family grasses and flowers. The Uchiha opens the scroll and it's long, longer than its small pocket-sized appearance gave credit for, the kanji writing within tiny and compact. Sasuke slumps in the shoulders a little and sighs. When he heard Kakashi mention giving him instructions, he thought it was simply feeding the puppy and maybe training it to spar. He didn't sign up for all this dog-sitting.

Shiro barks so chipper it interrupts Sasuke's thoughts. The dog has dug out the roots of most garden flowers - not that he maintains the grounds anyhow, they've been growing unmanaged for years - having finished his complete destruction of the Uchiha sacred rock garden. It looks as if a paper tag had gone off in his yard, rocks and dirt upturned in sporadic, little mounds. Curious as a puppy is for more, he scratches helplessly at the front entrance.

Sasuke wisely decides he'll ignore the mess.

"Wait, would you?" he rolls and pockets the scroll, pulling out his home keys. The young ninken scampers in-and-out between his legs, impatient in waiting. Once the door opens Shiro is gone in a brown flash, lightning down the papered hallways.

Sasuke curses under his breath.

* * *

He settles into his couch, curled up against the far arm rest. Shiro is off doing gods-know-what and the Uchiha doesn't care to find out. He's exhausted and hungry for not having eaten any breakfast, but he's too wired to cook or sleep. With a sigh, he cracks open the scroll again.

" _Sasuke,_ " it reads.

 _'Ninken are dogs trained as ninja that have heightened senses and abilities, as such are able to work with ninja. These dogs can be partners and important familial members, such as in the case of the well-known Inuzuka clan – Akamaru and Kiba, as you may already know. However, they can choose to be contracted animals like my pack: Pakkun and Bull, those two of whom you may know personally.'_

 _'My pack is old and a running tradition in the Hatake Wolf clan, though that's not important for you to learn right now. What is important is for you to determine the route you choose in training, how you will raise this puppy to be.'_

 _'Ninken are generally intended for scent-tracking purposes, their hearing capabilities are beyond human comprehension, and their teeth and claws make them ideal, perfect assassins. They may not have good sight regarding depth, however, ninken are beneficial during late dark missions and can easily track any fast movement. Their instincts aren't something to laugh at neither; they are emotionally sensitive.'_

 _'Think about this in relation to your fight with Gaara. Or rather – I should say – with your brother.'_

 _'Of course, this is in addition to the fact that they can utilize jutsu. This puppy I have given you may only be a little over 9 weeks old but he has much more developed chakra control than even you. This is because animals are natural chakra balancers, in tune with nature more than us humans could ever strive to be. That doesn't mean, however, that they have a lot at their disposal. This puppy's small body can't contain immense amounts of raw energy, however what chakra he does hold he can be trained to use with deadly efficiency.'_

 _'But that's all things you can find out for yourself in the later weeks… along with my help. What I came to tell you is something I have a feeling you couldn't piece together alone.'_

 _'Aside from training him, feeding him, grooming him and any other necessary activities, you must, and I repeat you must, give this ninken a break. **Play with him.** '_

 _'I know you're not the most… amicable of our team but in order for the two of you to connect as partners in battle you need to connect recreationally with this puppy. Do not neglect its social needs. This ninken is young and has been separated from its mother and its brothers and sisters. All he has is you. Dogs are social creatures, who work in complex social structures and large packs. They are the manifest definition of teamwork. Play with him.'_

 _'And it goes without saying that you two are a pack, as of now. You, Sasuke, are his alpha and he is your beta in this pack of two. Not much, but I figure this more effective: to ease you onto one ninken than sidle you with an entire litter of puppies from the start. Just like Pakkun is my second-in-command who dictates to my pack in place of myself (should I be unable) this puppy shall be the same for you.'_

 _'Mind. If you do not respect him as one of your pack, you will regret having doing so. Rectify your mistakes. Apologize. He can and would have every right to usurp you as alpha or leave: neither of which I want to see happening on my watch.'_

 _'I gave you this ninken because I trust in you… to do as you've always performed, Uchiha. He is not your pet. He is not a toy. He is an intelligent creature and should be given the same respect as given to a human being - as given to a partner in your team, do you understand?'_

 _'I hope you to learn from him for he is wiser than you. Good luck.'_

Sasuke purses his mouth at the last quip, skepticism etched across his face with a creased frown. He doesn't believe that this puppy - Shiro, who he can hear far off barking stupidly at nothing because no one else lives here other than himself - is wiser than him? There's no way.

Sasuke scoffs at the paper in his hands, rolling it up and throwing it against the pillows. He peels himself off the couch, following his stomach to the kitchen. He's done thinking. He needs to eat.

* * *

"What now?" Sasuke says, his eyes rolling at the display before him. Shiro scratches at his feet underneath the table, his nails are uncomfortably sharp.

"Arf!" The ninken leaves to scramble up one of the empty sides of the family kotatsu, claws fully outstretched. After a few violent struggles he successfully sinks his nails into the Uchiha table quilt, clinging on by the thread. White paws from the rear lift him bodily, he manages to stand on top of the table. Torn cloth trailing his path, Shiro noses at his meal.

"You have your own food." Sasuke gestures to his right where in a bowl he's cut up some fish he's managed to cook with his Katon. Fish is hard to get, expensive, and this dog was lucky he had some in the freezer saved up for when he needs his protein. Shiro whines and with small canines continues to pull apart his onigiri. Sasuke is averse to stopping him.

"Fine. Do what you want." _I'm full anyway._

The ninken nibbles away.

* * *

 _It's kind of weird,_ he thinks with a grimace as he goes about his Sunday duties. Shiro follows him everywhere. The dog having tired of exploring the house decides that it would rather focus its attention on him and extend its curiosity to what he's doing. First obviously, by copying him so exact it's almost like he's got his own Sharingan. If Sasuke stops walking, so does the puppy ninken. If he sits, so does Shiro, plopping a furry behind right beside him. For some reason he sometimes drags across the floor in that way and then once done… scratching that itch, he looks at him victorious.

Sasuke rolls his eyes.

He's very curious; Shiro, that is. Always intrigued by every little thing, and sniffing, before rolling about excitedly. When Sasuke opens a scroll to study, Shiro "reads" it first, when he moves to sit somewhere the ninken has proudly already taken his spot, tail wagging. He runs about between his legs while Sasuke's walking over and over, chasing himself. The Uchiha almost squashed the puppy multiple times.

(Sasuke never knew how such a small animal could be so big, demand and occupy so much of his space.)

This puppy may not be able to speak like a human, he's not Pakkun, but he doesn't let that stop him. Shiro is an avid conversationalist. Always with an opinion, the ninken has to comment at every single thing.

"Woof!" he says as Sasuke's about to finish the last of his training stretches, his body strained and contorted. The dog bounds through the grasses towards him interrupting, and leaps straight onto his bent back.

"What the-" Sasuke exclaims and the ninken's claws dig into his skin.

"Shiro!" Sasuke topples and the puppy goes insane. He chippers enthusiastically, cute, high-pitched barks. He butts and rubs his head against him where he can, paws padding wild all over his torso. He twirls around a couple times, tap-dancing, then (finally) settles to a lie down on his chest. His tail thumps, pleased.

"What is it?" Sasuke backs his head into the ground, allowing the ninken the win. Under low eyelids, he stares at the dog. "Well?"

Shiro squirms in his "chair" and Sasuke comes to the theory that the puppy can't sit still for long. He prays he's not also a night howler.

"Did you want to train?" Sasuke guesses randomly and hopes he's right. He doesn't know really how to play anymore, despite how Kakashi expressively ordered him to, he doesn't know of any games for a dog. Roary-chan, a flash of green appears behind his eyes, is all he had for a toy as a kid. He had long forgotten where his mom kept the stuffed dinosaur. Otherwise he'd throw it for Shiro to enjoy.

Training, however… that he likes and can do.

Plus he wants to see if this ninken is even useful, maybe Kakashi had the right idea. "Shiro," Sasuke starts and the tail thumps wilder, faster. "What can you do?"

The puppy chirps in response. He bites onto the collar of his shirt. With a few tugs and gnaws and shakes of a furry head (and plenty of little growls) Shiro manages to get heavy amounts watery slobber seeping into the black cloth. After minutes, his strangled-abused shirt slaps wetly against his chest. It's cold. Sasuke grimaces.

"Nevermind."

* * *

He does attempt to train it.

A simple tracking exercise. Sasuke had taken a total of ten minutes to hide treats (pieces of onigiri, apparently they share the same favorites) in various places around his house. Puppy-accessible places. Now only to get the small ninken on board.

"Go."

Shiro stays seated before him, the only response to having heard his command is a twitch of a furry tail. Sasuke, his cheeks pinkening brightly, steels himself. He tries again. "Shiro. Sniff out the treats." _Please don't let me keep talking to myself…_

Luckily, the ninken moves. With a slow shuffle, he trails towards the first hiding place, his body lazy. Bored, Sasuke could say. Shiro makes a few more steps, feeding the Uchiha's inkling of hope laid within his chest. And then suddenly his head zings, neck turned abrupt to another direction. Sasuke guards. They both pause with breaths held silent, bodies still. A bird cacaws and with a yelp, Shiro bounds off after it.

* * *

If he knew how hard training would be for an impressionable puppy ninken, he would refuse more emphatically. Run away if he has to. Request a different sensei. Transfer to another team. The Sharingan is of no help for hindsight.

He only wants to train Shiro to be better. So he decides to test the pup's reflexes.

Laying in wait hidden behind a papered screen, Sasuke readies himself. Having masked his chakra incrementally over the course of half an hour, he should be perceived as gone to the pup. This is in addition to the steadily growing smog of incense, one that gives the scent of charcoal and burnt wood. The smell is already omnipresent and immovable, Sasuke has to fight to hold in a cough.

He can sense Shiro a few meters away. The dog is distracted by the cloud overhead, stretching up to see only to stupidly flop backwards. Sasuke cringes painfully in regret.

(The next time he sees Kakashi he's going to give him a large piece of his mind. And the ninken back.)

Sasuke attacks. He jumps the dog, kunai at the ready. His Sharingan is blazing, stance lethal, a serious threat. He's there in a ninja flash, fast and sudden, his hand speeds in for the kill.

-that is, he sputters uncharacteristically. "S-shiro!"

The pup hasn't even twitched a muscle. Unfazed by the fast motion and (granted, very little) killing intent, he sniffs curiously at Sasuke's kunai. Finding nothing Shiro simply squats himself and barks happily at the sound of his name.

* * *

Later, something rips.

Sasuke remains in his bath having scrubbed his body clean of all the dog spit and dirt and leaves. It took him 20 minutes to appear even semi-decent, his skin is rubbed raw pink with red loofah marks. At this point he couldn't care less if Shiro destroyed a cushion or two. He wants to stay and relax in the warm bathwater and he's too tired to tell the puppy ninken off. It's not like the animal would understand anyway – in fact he'd probably bark in his face.

The Uchiha slumps in the tub. He is unfortunately right and Kakashi was wrong. It is useless. Shiro, other than his disgusting bite technique (one that the dog likes to use despite that its teeth are not at all sharp) has no clue how to fight. And Sasuke's tried training it anyhow. Kakashi entrusts him, right?

Sasuke slumps further.

He doesn't know how he'll achieve the impossible. To train both himself and the ninken in time for the match against Gaara… he doesn't know if such a goal is even realistic. He's confident in his own abilities despite the curse seal, he does have the Sharingan and Sasuke is a genin ninja to contend with, he's excelled in Katon. But the fact still remains: fire is useless against sand.

Then again, Shiro is worse. The dog is a complete spazz.

Sasuke sighs as he gathers his towel and wraps himself. He might as well leave, he's done soaking. The water has gone cold anyway.

After dressing, he's lax along the sofa with hands crossed behind his head, fingers intertwined and eyes closed. Sasuke thinks, desperately devises a strategy that he can utilize against Gaara, against…

"-arf!" His eyes crack open. Shiro pads into the living room. Dog nails clacking – and Sasuke'll have to get used to the sound - he casually heads towards him. He whines.

"Finished?" Sasuke asks with a scoff. He never knew ninken could be so destructive but he's not going to interrupt whatever therapeutic design the dog has. The puppy paws at him, moves to scramble up the cushion but Sasuke pushes him back with a hand.

"No."

Shiro licks at his palm and ew, he pulls away quickly.

They repeat this for another few minutes, the ninken wanting to join him and Sasuke refusing. Finally, Shiro lays down and gives.

"What were you even doing?" The ninken intentionally chooses not to answer. It scratches a twitching ear with a foot, then appears to inspect its claws. Amused, Sasuke snorts. He rises from the sofa ignoring the display the animal has chosen to give him and steps over a furry form. Shiro reacts, shooting up the couch in his place. He digs and makes a bed for himself, settling into his warmth-spot. The Uchiha's mouth twitches.

Following where the ninken had come, he decides to investigate what that tearing sound was earlier. Before he finds out too late that his bedding has been chewed apart or something. He leaves Shiro to his devices and enters the hallway.

His parents' door is open.

Sasuke freezes, glancing at the pup who calmly tongues at little nails. He glances back at the second cracked entrance, the other being his own room. He hasn't walked so far down his hallway in so long.

 _How did-?_ He questions loudly within the confines of his brain as he tries to imagine the puppy ninken slide the paper screen, the same puppy who couldn't even climb the low wooden kotatsu. Sasuke frowns. He needs to look.

Legs shaky-hesitant and wary, he was never allowed to enter his parents' room even when his clan was alive, much less now when the ghosts are watching. He steps slow, cautious, his first thought being an intruder. But there's nothing of value here, only the dead remnants of an extinct clan. Sasuke looks.

Inside is much the same as before he imagines, only now with a heavy coating of dust. Sasuke sees nothing out of the ordinary and when his Sharingan activates, he can sense no foreign chakra. Only shreds of thin paper on the floor, fallen before what he thinks is to be his mother's dresser. The paper looks familiar, crinkle-folded strategically, a cross between red and white-

Slowly, his eyes widen.

"Shiro."

At his feet is the leftovers of his mother's perfect weapons, the pride of the clan. The pair of Uchiwa fans. Tiny and delicate they fold easily underneath kimono sleeves, flutter demurely as mere pieces of paper. But they are weapons, the only weapons that his Kaa-san, Uchiha Mikoto, would keep on her person as a woman of status.

(She offered to teach him how to use them, how to direct the Katon between the thin sheets for _'only a fan can stoke a fire'_ , she said sweetly. Sasuke scorned her then, he only wanted to learn from Tou-san and Nii-san and not a _girl's_ fighting style…)

Dark eyes narrow dangerously. Obviously, he was right to refuse Kakashi. This dumb animal is a bad investment. He's invasive, he is an intruder, and everything else today Sasuke could ignore but not this, never this. Shiro needs to go.

Sasuke calmly leaves his parents' room and quickly moves to the salon. His mind is racing, his heart is pumping, his fists clench until knuckles turn stark white. "Get out." He points to the door and Shiro looks up with such a stupid wolf-grin.

"I know you understand me." _You better understand me._ "Leave." _Now._

A pause. Then the air snaps. The ninken starts a growl low in its tiny throat, at him, at him! Sasuke is glad, darkly satisfied because he couldn't stand if the puppy stayed chipper even unto now. He bristles, shoulders back, stance overbearing. Shiro return pulls at furry lips, revealing white teeth. The dog barks once, then twice, then thrice, then Sasuke feels incinerated, feels validated enough to move two hands to pick the upstart ninken up.

Shiro dodges his hands, jumping to the floor. It looks at him lips peeling again-

No. Not in his house, his space. No more.

Sasuke walks to the front entrance past the stupid dog and his lone shoes on the tatami mat. He opens the door wide. The night Konoha wind blows, chilly and loud. "You don't want to be here, Shiro. Either unsummon yourself or get out – but you're not staying."

Shiro growls until he stops with a loud snap of his teeth. He shakes his fur, glares (Sasuke could laugh) and then stalks out the house, the entire while his eyes on Sasuke. When the last of brown-white tail disappears, the Uchiha slams the door. Loud.

Shiro barks back at deaf wood.

* * *

He decides he'll train himself. He doesn't need Kakashi. He'll defeat Gaara and Orochimaru (and Itachi, for sure Itachi) on his own, thank you very much.

Sasuke sleeps to the sound of yowling.


	4. Chapter 4

He didn't linger long at the Uchiha grounds.

He's at his home, a small apartment deep in the downtown of Konoha. Expensive, but hard to find and as a ninja this is ideal. Sleep, he should get, he should catch up on but his mind is whirring on extra batteries. Kakashi appears at his home only to not unlock his traps and head inside. It's too soon to relax. He spins on his feet and chakra-leaps onto the nearest rooftop.

Kakashi should report in to the Hokage, it's what he'd done before. Protocol detailing of his week every Sunday… but mostly the Sandaime hoping to check in on him personally. Kakashi doesn't mind the thought though he's always believed he's much too old. It'll be an earlier meeting than his past life, by about six hours. He thinks a little time skip won't change anything.

Still. Now that he's finally made his first move he can address the bigger incoming problem than Sasuke. That is, the invasion of Konoha on part by Orochimaru. A meeting with the Sandaime is exactly in order.

Kakashi adds a little more chakra to his feet, speeding up his run. The future starts now.

* * *

"Ah, Kakashi-kun. A pleasure to see you again."

"Hokage-sama." He bends at the neck, low, eye focused on the tiled tatami. He waits for the approval to look up.

"Please, this isn't serious, is it? No need for such formalities." Kakashi nods.

The Sandaime is exactly as he remembers him, old pipe sticking out his mouth, white Hokage robes trailing the floor as he stands to stare out the office window. Paperwork pile neatly in rows because he's always been a diligent worker. The Hokage still has his vices like everyone else in this ninja village - the smog in the room is transparent but heady. Warm. He's patient and grandfatherly, already with a small smile. He should've never died in the first place.

Kakashi starts. "Actually-"

"Would you like to play Shogi? I'm up for an old game, if you can. Nostalgia is beating hard today," Sarutobi slowly walks himself to the aged wooden kotatsu in the corner, his sandals clacking loudly in the room. Kakashi follows.

"I'm not here to play a game, sir. I have some information I think you should hear."

The Hokage switches the pipe to his other cheek, and puffs once. He looks at him with old eyes, a tired smile on his face. "I was afraid you would say that. Sit down."

He's loyal - he must say to himself, remind himself - and he is a soldier. A good one at that. Kakashi would die for his Hokage in milliseconds, instantly, Sarutobi as much as Minato-sensei. It is and remains his duty and his body fully agrees.

Yet, he has no intention of revealing himself. The fact that he's a time traveler he's decided, is something he'll keep under wraps. Not that it'll be difficult for the Sandaime to believe him, everything, and support him in making a change for the future and beyond- No; Sarutobi-sama is certainly a good ally.

But the "changes" he intends to make… Kakashi thinks of a pale, scared little boy, deadkilled before his prime - no one should bear the weight of his mistakes but him. He's failed once before and it's time he take full responsibility. The Hokage couldn't understand. "Orochimaru," he says and neither of them make any motions, the shogi pieces that Sarutobi had been arranging clack once. And then silence.

Sandaime removes his pipe from his lips. "I'm listening."

"I have intel that he's to return again: the Forest of Death isn't his last appearance for this year's Chuunin Exams."

"You have 'intel'?"

"Yes."

"And?"

Kakashi cautions his next words. "And… he's posing as Sunagakure's Kazekage. He intends for war."

He promptly steels himself, gripping onto his knees tightly under the kotatsu, his nails are sharp. The elder ninja kneeling across from him stares hard and piercing at his words and Kakashi keeps his eye averted. The old face is strained. "These are strong accusations, Hatake Kakashi, or should I say: 'Inu-san'?"

He bows. "I haven't investigated out of protocol, Hokage-sama."

"Hm." The pipe returns and the scent of burning leaves filters through his mask. His nose twitches. "Let's say I believe you. What do you suggest the best course of action?"

' _Cancel the exams_ ,' Kakashi thinks quickly with feeling he means to suppress. The memory of Sarutobi's imminent death shakes his sensibilities and soon he'll be speaking careless. He needs contain himself. Kakashi clears his throat and sits straight, straighter to look into wise, dark eyes.

"Delay the finals," he concedes though he knows the truth. "Until we receive more information," and that he formulates some kind of counterattack and pre-defense to the plan. Once he, hopefully with the help of his fellow ninja, know the extent of the infiltration and whether the Sand Village is compliant with Orochimaru… he'll do something.

He could never take on the sannin himself even with his Sharingan (and how he laments the time travel, the loss of his Mangekyou.) This is despite the advantage of knowing the future. The missing nin is beyond S-rank and once again with two working arms, more than a formidable enemy. He could never stand a chance. His Hokage however, if only he knew…

For now he needs to get the clearance, the time enough to hamper Orochimaru's attack even a little. "This is the best course, sir."

The Hokage furrows his thinning brow and shakes his head in disappointment. The sinking feeling in his chest digs harder, festers black. He identifies it as fear. "No; it isn't, Kakashi-kun," he says before playing around with the shogi pieces once more. They click-clack against the wood of the table, the in-carved board. "I thought you knew better than this."

He's silent.

"Even if what you say is true, I couldn't delay the exams. That is no longer an option." The Sandaime plays his piece for him, brown eyes riveted onto the board. "People will travel here from all the five nations to attend this exam, days – weeks travelling. We cannot let them come in vain."

"By one day-"

"Even one hour. The Leaf Village is a strong village, not one to shy away like a startled fawn. What did you hear?" He keeps his mouth thinned tight under his mask, focuses on the one-sided game before him. His brow furrows.

"Or maybe… what did you see?" When Kakashi still doesn't answer, not yet, not so soon, the Hokage continues. "Nonetheless, Konoha must always have a strong front, as one of the great ninja villages she cannot capitulate to terrorism. There is a reputation to uphold."

 _What 'reputation'?_ He thinks darkly and he nearly scoffs aloud in front of his leader. Then again that's not entirely fair. He knows the future and so he knows exactly what Konoha becomes.

If the aftermath of the Fourth Shinobi War, the last war for any of the fire nation is all that's left in the name of reputation… Kakashi feels a bitterness taste sour cold bile in the back of his throat, his nails pinch the flesh of his knees. Well, he'd rather burn his hitai-ate.

Kakashi jolts a little out of his reverie. "I don't mean any disrespect, however, are you saying you don't intend to take any action? Extra guards can-"

The Third's voice is booming. "If it is Orochimaru as you say, wouldn't you think he'd notice? He may not have been in this village in years but even a small increase in security could alert him of our knowledge." Kakashi falters and the elder ninja's tone grows small. "And if it isn't… The Sand Village is our recent ally, this would be a great insult and detriment to the integrity of our treaty."

Sarutobi inhales his cigar, his voice raspy and old. "I'm afraid there's nothing to be done."

It's quiet for a moment. The younger of the two adjusts his mask, slopes his forehead protector even further over his Sharingan, the metal cold against the bridge of his nose. He masks a smile. "Maa, I just thought to share what I know."

Hopping along the window sill, a blue bird chirps, pitched voice muted across the glass. Kakashi makes a move to stand.

"Stay."

He settles into his kneel once more.

A quiet voice. "The children in this village… they carry the will of fire because of people like you. Kakashi-kun." Sarutobi looks at him fondly and he feels younger than his years. Warmth swells into him, rushing in his stomach but the feeling dies quickly.

(The children… he thinks with a stinging, reminding sadness. He's never had the will of fire to teach and pass on, only a copied Katon jutsu. Goes for Sasuke as well. It's the curse of the Sharingan, of course.)

He closes his eye. "Everyone admires you, Hokage-sama," he says on rote.

"You may be right," the elder ninja puffs his cigar with a tiny smirk, a quirky twist to his lips. His happiness is catching. "Though I'm only an old man, not the infamous copy ninja, hmm?" Kakashi huffs a breath.

"You're worried about Sasuke, aren't you?" He peeks at the Sandaime, an eyebrow raised.

' _No._ ' His mind provides because worry implies uncertainty. The last thing he is is uncertain, especially when it comes to the youngest Uchiha.

Kakashi nods silently and tries to look caught.

The Hokage smiles. "I have some information about Sasuke that may settle you yet, Kakashi-kun."

The ninja pauses. Whatever this is he's never heard about this in his last life, despite that he informed the Hokage of having begun teaching the Chidori to Sasuke. It should've come up. This is uncharted territory. And he expected this conversation to lead much the same as before but… "Yes?" His eye hardens and though he gives off a lazy countenance, his interest is piqued. Kakashi listens intently.

"It may bring you comfort to know with the help of Anko we've discovered some new information about Orochimaru's curse mark."

Kakashi braces himself.

"If you were concerned of Orochimaru's return in relation to Sasuke, know this. The curse mark has no effect on his mental state. It can be argued that it amplifies the victim's intentions, however we've gathered no conclusive evidence to this theory." Sandaime's entire countenance relaxes, his sun-tanned face serene and happy. Kakashi, with all his ninja training can't force his muscles to appear the same.

Essentially: Sasuke is doomed, curse mark or no.

It's not like Kakashi ever thought otherwise.

"I know," he says solemn and quiet and his hands shake in the seiza he is mandated to endure. He holds his stance, he keeps his mouth shut, and he is reminded that some things are inevitable. Kakashi should've failed his team when he had the chance, never get to know them all over again. His luck continues to be ever failing.

Time-travel, and yet some things never change.

The Hokage doesn't notice the look on his face, his mask always hides. Sarutobi smiles proud. "This does not provide you relief, hm? Maybe you were always assured of Sasuke's allegiances, it looks I've wasted my breath." He chuckles warmly and the smoke puffs out in intervals. A sudden sharp inhale and he coughs, sputters, though that only makes him laugh even more. Kakashi wishes he could do the same.

"Inu-san." Sandaime stops laughing, his tone focused but light. Kakashi tenses. "Thank you and I'll take what you've reported thus far into consideration. I'll be sure to bring it up with the council."

Yes. For once something is going right. Kakashi relaxes and a minute slump appears at his shoulders, one that he rectifies quickly. He's succeeded, he knows that the Hokage will address his ANBU guards and that maybe this time around – he can save. One person, at least.

"However. Don't use the mask for your self-assigned solo missions again. Especially concerning Orochimaru; I can't allow that to bypass twice." Sarutobi-sama hums low under his breath and puts out the cigar against the table. He taps methodically once, twice, thrice, Kakashi counts and the ember dust never falls. "I understand your concern for your student and I commend you for it. Konoha needs more teachers like you."

Kakashi has to look away.

"But do not forget. You've been excused out of ANBU 5 years ago and I should never call the name 'Inu-san' again. Your only job now is to teach. Kakashi-sensei," he says with a warm smile.

It's a dismissal if he ever saw one. With a quick bow, Kakashi makes his leave.

* * *

He needs sleep.

This he knows intimately, his body running on its last fumes. After staying up waiting for Sasuke and then informing his Hokage, (to which since he's had to break away from the ANBU trailing him immediately after the conversation) Kakashi is done. That is, he wishes he could tell his mind such. The organ deliberately ignores this fact – how his one eye creaks to stay open, blinks longer as if stupid. Kakashi removes his forehead protector, placing the item on his drawer and strips out of his regulation uniform. His weapons pouch falls. He doesn't think he can read his Icha; he doesn't think it could sufficiently distract him. He doesn't think he'll sleep.

He knows underneath his left eyelid, Obito is spinning.

* * *

#

Kakashi can hear Akamaru before Naruto and Sakura. It was a plus to raising ninken close to oneself. That the bond between ninken and ninja can become so close a person can obtain characteristics of dogs: fangs and claws, scent-tracking, mannerisms and even advanced hearing. He's not so close to his pack that he could be mistaken as an Inuzuka; Kakashi thinks he'll never achieve such and he doesn't feel disappointed. No, he doesn't need any canine influences, none whatsoever to hear the pitched need in Akamaru's bark. Any being could understand it was bad news.

"Tsunade's been dismissed as Hokage!" Kiba starts.

Damn. He didn't think the elders would act so soon but of course they would. For old seniors they act faster than experienced ninja.

"And some guy named Danzo has taken half her place- But more than that, he's announced the decision to hunt down Sasuke. Naruto," Kiba looks to his student and Akamaru whines low with pity. "-the decision is effective immediately."

Sakura bristles, Naruto clenches a fist, and Kakashi interrupts before the two do something stupid.

"Half?"

Kiba scratches his scalp, embarrassed. "Oh, yeah. That was the bad news first, there's good too. Shikaku volunteered your name on the board," Kakashi twitches a little under his mask but his subordinates are still too young to have noticed. "And long story short, the Fire Daimyo liked the idea of more than one acting-Hokage."

Sakura pounces on the information given. "Kakashi-sensei, you can repeal the act against Sasuke!" Naruto pitches in, his mouth opening, but before he can voice his thoughts Kakashi cuts their growing hopes down.

"I don't think I can."

"What?!" "Why not!"

"Naruto. Sakura," he says looking at the two teens beside him. Confused, they glare so expressively, but he's too proud they come so fast to Sasuke's defense. "Danzo will probably undercut my value to the position if I do so. Something like, 'he's too weak, too sympathetic to a missing-nin'… These, he's always brought up with Tsunade."

And if he were to be honest concerning himself such accusations sound undeniably true. Kakashi sighs. "In fact, I have the suspicion that this was exactly his plan."

Sakura shouts her outrage. Naruto becomes inflamed. "You can't let this go! He made a law without your consent-"

"A law that unfortunately everyone can agree on. Sasuke is a missing-nin and expected for execution."

When the two make their intentions known to plead at him, Kakashi tries to stress that this is all Danzo's trap. That to restrain the Kyuubi-container in the village as too unstable because of the Uchiha, the Godaime's student much the same. Sakura and Naruto distinctly refuse to listen: his special, special kids. He smiles.

"Maa, I never said I wouldn't figure something out."

* * *

The green tent is large but cloying, it flaps idly, yet the air is stale through his mask. "So. You've finally shown your true colors."

Danzo doesn't flinch to his credit, the old man breathes softly in his chair, calm and steady. His cane rests beside him and Kakashi has to manually reinforce connections in his brain.

A Hokage is strong. Danzo only acts weakened but no one would've accepted him to the position if they really believed such. Root. Tenzou. Kakashi is on his highest guard, and only the name of the man before can put him in such a position: the wary canine, the cornered animal. He wishes he could have had the chance to refuse his nomination and not be in this mess, because he's not a responsible kind of guy. However it's Danzo, and now Sasuke, and thus Kakashi needs brace his nerves and fully steps to the plate.

"I am only offering myself as the leader to bring into Konoha a new age of order, of-"

"Yes, thank you," Kakashi cuts. Still, the elder doesn't twitch.

Danzo, his motions slow and obvious as if aware of the ninja in him ready to unleash at the slightest provocation, takes his cane in hand. He stands, the chair creaks and he makes slow measured steps toward him. The cane clacks against the ground a steady beat. It sounds like a clock counting down, '-three, two' but Kakashi fears and doesn't want to know unto what.

"I apologize. I haven't prior informed you of the ruling to kill Uchiha Sasuke. I took the initiative to presume you intelligent a man to agree?" Kakashi slouches on his feet, his appearance of a lazy ninja. He pulls out his Icha in front of the other man.

"That's why I'm Hokage, Danzo." He intentionally leaves out the title of respect. As if there could ever be the day that he submits to him. Kakashi pretend stutters in thought, his book closes with a clap. "Ah. Sorry. Part-Hokage, just like you." _Don't forget yourself._

"I'd implore you to communicate any new actions you'd want to take in the future… and myself the same. United we can make a difference. Konoha has always been founded on teamwork, no?"

Danzo makes a small, slow smile and the scar on his chin stretches. "I'm pleased to hear we share the same ideals for unity. I'll be sure to remember."

His back immediately tenses, his body is stiff. Kakashi doesn't like the sound of that. Nonetheless, he has to make an effort. "I'd like to address the ruling against Sasuke now that you bring it up-"

"I'm afraid there are more pressing matters that need attention." Danzo makes a hand signal and Konoha's ANBU station themselves before them. The numbers fill the tent.

"Kakashi." He could laugh. "There has come a message calling for a Five-Kage meeting, the first of its kind."

His eye widens. Kakashi contains himself quickly. "A nationwide effort to address the Akatsuki?"

"Understandably. Representing the Leaf Village Konoha, attendance is necessary. Only two guards are allowed to follow a Kage to the meeting." Kakashi can see Danzo struggle to admit this, it's not so obvious and he thinks he's imagined it to himself but the man literally pauses. "-our situation is unique, thus I confer that we each choose a guard for ourselves. Who will you choose?"

Kakashi pretends to think on the options, his hand exaggeratedly stroking at a masked chin and he closes his eye.

"I think I chose… Sai."

Yes. He's well aware that the ninja is much younger than him, less experienced as guard detail. The ex-Root operative ('ex' being a flexible label) isn't honestly his favorite choice, but the boy is a student of his Team 7. His. Kakashi believes this.

He wants to entice Danzo, who now thinks fully that both guards are under his influence; he wants him to reveal his true colors more. It is a danger, the travel to the summit is bound to have some nefarious plot involved… Danzo, who may try to kill him before they arrive. This isn't ideal but Kakashi thinks its best. This is the one opportunity to expose.

He hopes he doesn't die in the meantime.

* * *

The bandages around Naruto is plenty and he has as much face coverage as Kakashi himself, looks much like Danzo. Kakashi terminates the uncanny comparison quickly.

"I'm going to the Raikage for Sasuke."

Kakashi contains his initial sigh, he's sighed many times for Naruto than he can count. The sound is an interesting mix of fond and sadness and he doesn't want his kid to notice the latter. Not that it'll hamper him anyhow. "I'll repeal the motion."

"I know," Naruto says with a wide smile. His black eye crinkles. His kid gives him a Nice-Guy pose, thumbs up.

"That's for when you get back…" Minato's son puffs his chest and the teacher in him is proud. "Until then, I'll hold the Raikage off myself!"

Kakashi smiles brightly under his mask, as his kid can always get him to do, but the stretch of muscles sting at his cheeks. He says good luck, he gives his support, he salutes to the backs of Yamato and Naruto – but only he can hear the emptiness in his words. He has the painful intuition that this time Konoha's hero won't succeed.

…

Kakashi waits.

For once he's not the latest to arrive, though if only to spite Danzo he's actually tried to be. This is petty of him and childish, but Kakashi can't muster enough energy to feel guilty for doing so. He can only stand here, waiting and reading until Sai finally arrives. He doesn't think yet this is an assassination plan in action - they remain close to the leftovers of the village and therefore under much scrutiny. It is light out, few witnesses abound and Danzo speaks quietly to his own guard, Torune. Still, Kakashi doesn't relax. He pretend reads his book and waits for the sneak attack.

A bird screeches, piercing from the sky.

"I apologize for my tardiness." Danzo looks at Sai only to ignore him and make his walk down the beaten path. Torune follows. Kakashi turns to the younger ninja.

"What occupied you so?" he turns a page.

"Nothing," Sai responds.

* * *

The summit is proving to be a very bad idea. They have made no progress. Each intimately aware and having experienced the threat of the Akatsuki, their jinchuuriki containers kidnapped and killed, none have returned full focus on the topic at hand. The discussion has devolved and Kakashi hasn't said a single word, he pretend reads before the nation's most powerful ninja figures. He feels for Gaara. A children's spat, reduced to shaming and undermining one another and Kakashi wishes he could say he was above all this. But he's not. Every accusation against Konoha, he's been directly related and responsible towards and this… this is a truth.

Itachi - he remembers, he's ashamed - is the first. His underage subordinate (though they are all underage he thinks, too young to ever warrant a part in this but that's irresponsibility talking). The one he stupidly led wrong. Kakashi regrets, Kakashi's inadequate, and he's glad the Sandaime gifted him leave. He's never wanted to again be in a position of power but he figures better him than Danzo. He at least, knows guilt.

And now Sasuke has joined into the Akatsuki too. Is there no end to his mistakes?

When the Raikage outbursts once more Kakashi thinks the man may be like him, close to their Jinchuuriki and under impossible chains of guilt. If Kakashi were in his place he may have done the same. Though Kakashi thinks he's long been desensitized and should know better, should expect the worst. This is what he tells himself.

(But he will die before they have Naruto. Akatsuki will have no more of his students. This is what he promises. And his Team can work together to get Sasuke back.)

When Danzo speaks finally, everyone stops to hear what he has to say.

"Akatsuki's leader is Uchiha Madara."

This shocks Kakashi but for what exact reason he's not so sure.

He shouldn't be surprised that Danzo has this knowledge, that the man's kept this in secret rather than telling his partner-hokage. The surprise is obvious on his face despite his mask, and Lady Mizukage notices with a concerned glance. It's an appearance of dissention, miscommunication - a _weakness_ \- and Kakashi quickly recovers himself. He stews on the information given and keeps his silence.

 _(Always an Uchiha_ , his mind darkly supplies and he tries to hold that one stray thought in proper order. To maintain appropriate behavior as expected in the rules of a ninja. This is ineffective and useless, his traitor of a brain continues makes conclusions against his heart. He thinks, ' _Obito,_ ' thinks the massacre on part by Itachi, thinks the Sharingan in his left eye. He's been touted a genius in his prime and sometimes even now but today his mind has left him. He doesn't know what to make of this information.)

"What about forming a five-village alliance?" Mifune proffers.

After the initial exclamations the shock wears off, the Raikage sits down, and the Tsuchikage asks the important question.

"Who of us will control this combined army?"

The air is heavy and suddenly stifling, looming as every leader at this round table is silent. Ninja-quick eyes pass over others but Kakashi very much refuses to bite off more than he can chew. He's not interested in such a position. He only looks at Danzo his "ally", and his eye narrows to dangerous focus.

Mifune says. "As mediator and representative of a neutral party, I will decide who amongst you is worthy an authority. Who will lead and succeed against Akatsuki."

It is quiet. Then, "Seeing how the only host left is the ninetails - I, of Konoha, will honorably volunteer myself to the position," Danzo says.

Mifune agrees.

 _Oh._ Kakashi realizes with a deep breath, a sharp inhale through his masked nose. He can see the colors.

* * *

There is an initial disagreement, argument (mostly from the Raikage himself), somebody offers his name and his eyes make contact with Gaara's. _You notice it too._

Gaara closes his eyes, the dark, insomniac raccoon ring remaining long after his loss of Shukaku though Kakashi muses that no amount of sleep will heal that patch of skin. He watches Danzo, his book is still out and Kakashi doesn't know how much longer he can stay silent. He doesn't want to be involved but neither does he want things to get worse.

"Danzo-sama, show your eye underneath those bandages!" and now Kakashi is involved.

The ninja with the one Byakugan explains, how Danzo's right eye belongs to Uchiha Shisui, also a user of the Mangekyou. And that Mifune, the mediator, had been manipulated into accepting Danzo's offer to the position. The table is inflamed itching out of their seats, Kakashi closes his book and returns the paperback to his weapons pouch. All he can think is 'Uchiha, Uchiha, this time Shisui,' and he knows the man sitting next to him has stolen this Sharingan. So much for his feeble appearance.

"This may be true, Byakugan-user, but I am not the only Sharingan in this room."

Everyone faces him.

The most _flimsy_ recovery. Kakashi is irritated but at least he knows Danzo is at his last ropes, that the man needs desperately to divert and regain control of the conversation. As if he'd make use of his Mangekyou for him rather than himself - does he take these ninja here for idiots? Kakashi scowls, he narrows his eye because Danzo has succeeded nonetheless. This man thrives on instability.

The table erupts in relative chaos. A at the forefront, Gaara watches him, and Kakashi doesn't want to defend himself only to further "incriminate". Then a white Zetsu appears. He hears.

"Sasuke."

* * *

A orders. "Byakugan-user. Watch them."

Kakashi backs his seat, the chair scratches off-key. "Wait."

"Like hell! I'm not letting the fucker that killed my brother walk away from me!" The Raikage appears before him in a flash of electricity. He jabs him with a finger just short of polite etiquette but Kakashi doesn't want to dodge and startle the man. Already, he tires of the sharp eggshells, this politics…

"You his teacher? You made him the killer he is, you and all you Sharingan. Fucking Uchihas…"

Kakashi assesses the situation quickly and responds. "Bee was your brother? You cared about him, didn't you?" The Raikage growls and moves his hands towards his weapons. His guards make the same motion and Kakashi actively keeps his periphery open to fast movement. He holds a stopping hand out to Sai, keeping the kid from reaching for his sketch-scrolls. He doesn't dare show his Sharingan now. "If he went out of bounds containing the Hachibi-"

"Bee would never do that! My brother has the number-one control of all the jinchuuriki!"

And he never expected Sasuke to defect. "If he did…" Kakashi pauses and he swallows, his throat holds a heavy lump that he needs ignores. "If he did, who would trust to take care of him?"

Darui, he thinks, pulls out a sword and aims the tip at his mouth. Kakashi's eye widens. The motion was slow and fast at the same-time. "I wouldn't say any more if I were you, Copy ninja."

"Darui."

The ninja in question raises a cool eyebrow before lowering his sword.

"Hatake, Kakashi." A says and looks him in the eye. "It would be me. Absolutely."

 _As it would be mine, unfortunately._

"Ah. Because you're the raikage?"

"No," he corrects sharply and Kakashi feels guilty to instigate these feelings, but not guilty enough. "Because I'm his brother."

"Then you understand." Kakashi looks at him calmly. He walks past the tall man and lifts back his forehead protector. "Let me 'take care' of him."

* * *

The Raikage thunders behind him to his right, Sai on his left, his two guards sprint along the walls of the small hallway leading to Sasuke. Kakashi swiftly apologizes under his breath for what he is about to do but he's not sorry enough. His Sharingan spins, spins, spins until the black flower of the Mangekyou blooms.

#

* * *

Kakashi twists tighter in his sleep. He wakes with a gasp and a start. He looks around his room - the low, dark ceiling of the apartment and the scene is so monotone he feels some measure of relief. He enjoys the feeling while it lasts. His eyelids flutter, his brain goes on standby and his breath evens 'in, out, in…'

* * *

#

His student is different. Obviously, this is true; it's been more than 2 years since he's seen the kid, teen - adult, he'd say if Sasuke didn't still look so much like before. Man, he decides simply because the last Uchiha stares back at him contemplating, inspecting with unfamiliar eyes. These eyes are determined, colder, older, the light that used to reflect off them shine a different spectrum that Kakashi can't see. He doesn't know if he can successfully talk his student out of this.

"Yo," he says waving to the makeshift team around his student, a boy with a sword as big as Zabuza's and another boy nearly as large as the Raikage. He should regret not bringing back up, the genjutsu he's placed on Sai and the cloud ninja should last a quarter-hour. He hopes he can hold these three back that long.

Though he suspects he's getting ahead of himself.

"Kakashi." Sasuke glares at him from his stand in the middle of the great hall, a black, dramatic entrance. One of his teammates looks at him funny until he appears more interested in the proceedings. Kakashi isn't surprised Sasuke chose not to talk about his past.

"You remember my name, I'm honored."

"Why are you here?"

"To talk."

"No." Sasuke appears at ease, he doesn't reach for the katana at his back and neither do his teammates make any offensive motions. Kakashi remains on his guard. "Why are you at this meeting?"

 _So. His information is skewed._

"-are you a loyal to Danzo?"

 _Definitely skewed._

"Not particularly." In a show of trust he steps down from his perch on the upper floor to Sasuke's level, looking at him as equals. He doesn't get too close however. "I've been nominated acting Hokage."

"In addition to Danzo?" and interestingly enough he sounds polite. Sasuke appears to make connections in his brain, his voice has a curious inflection that implies something more. Kakashi doesn't know if honesty is ideal but he truly wants to talk. Even if that means making some sacrifices.

"Yes," he says and Sasuke finally makes a motion towards him. He steps closer, directs a flicking hand back to his posse. Kakashi closes his own eye.

"You're one of them then."

The danger underneath his tone is loud and clear: his judgement is final. Kakashi can hear the dark of his voice and he knows that talking time is over. He's failed. "One of who?" he stalls.

"Don't play dumb, Kakashi. _You're one of them!_ " Sasuke growls, his body charges in a flash of blue and it settles fast, concentrates in his hands. It's not a chidori, Kakashi muses idly, though the timing is inappropriate. It's something better. Kakashi respond spreads in a horse stance and generates chakra in his hand, holds the assassination technique before himself. The birds don't chirp; they screech.

"Who, Sasuke?" … _he wouldn't really kill his teacher, would he?_

Sasuke glares, his eyebrows furrow and he can't tell if the reaction is a good result or not. His student walks to him, sandals tapping against the cold ground and Kakashi resists the urge to back away. The killing intent in this great hall is strong and omnipresent but the teacher in him must hold his ground. "I'm your teammate, Sasuke. You're still a part of Team 7."

 _You won't kill me._

Sasuke scoffs, his humor is seeping. "I'm not with the Leaf anymore, and you're not who I thought you were. None of you are. I'll kill you and that Danzo, and the other four kage. Then, I'll crush Konoha." Eyes closed, the thunder at his hands crackle and intensify. Kakashi backs three steps to his right, allowing himself the open space behind him to escape if he needs to. He needs to.

"Who?" and Sasuke opens his eyes, the red is swirling. Mangekyou.

"You've already defeated your brother." He says this as a question and as a statement, and he's confused. "You should be finished with your revenge."

"I should, I should, I should…" Sasuke chuckles, he laughs until the sounds from his throat strangle wrong and the depth to his voice echoes in the chamber. He settles to a satisfied smirk. "You can't tell me what to do, _sensei_."

Kakashi's eye widens. He dodges, quick. Amaterasu burns in his wake, he looks at the trembling black flames then back at Sasuke. "I can't," he admits and he knows he's tried. But Sasuke is a lot like Naruto, a force that is impossible to restrain. "But I know this isn't what you want."

 _This isn't what I want._

Sasuke laughs again, the sound is bitter and not reassuring. "You don't even know what I want, don't pretend."

The new team surrounding his student haven't made a single move and Kakashi doesn't know if he should be insulted or relieved. He meets Sasuke, chidori for chidori, and the force of their attacks light up the entire area. He won't win he knows, and the blue lightening spark in currents across his skin. His student's pale face is starkly visible, Mangekyou against Mangekyou. There is a curl to his lip, a flare to his nose, and a crazed killer in his eyes. Kakashi falters his student and he stupidly hesitates even though he really shouldn't. Too late.

The last thing he sees is the Raikage who bellows across the hall. Sai, he thinks, catches him before he falls.

#

* * *

It's morning. Obito has stopped spinning. His eye is still, his mind is half-awake/half-asleep and there's really nothing he can do about the pounding headache between his temples. It's the Sharingan and its perfect recall memory and single-mindedness to replay all the worst things.

It won't let him forget. Kakashi gets off his bed and goes to work.


	5. Chapter 5

"Where is he?"

Sasuke turns from him, quiet, too quiet and knowing, and Kakashi doesn't have enough energy to deal with this so soon. "Successfully training a ninken includes actually attending with the ninken in question. Sasuke, where is he?"

"I don't know."

Kakashi tampers down the initial jump of frustration, channeling it all into a raised eyebrow he gives his student. Sasuke is appropriately contrite, the brat, he slumps a little at the shoulders and scowls deeper. The hands stuffed in black pockets dig further in, a testament to his discomfort at the situation.

"Maa. I don't know why you even thought to arrive here then." Kakashi cracks open his Icha and settles himself against the bark of the nearest training post. His back is a little itchy but the post has been well-beaten through, the splinters non-existent. The grass he plants himself on is rich and plush, the morning dew having long evaporated by now. Kakashi folds a knee and rests his orange book against there. Sasuke is hilariously surprised, his face frowns in confusion and Kakashi nearly smiles.

"Go on." He shoos him with a hand. "Find him."

* * *

Sasuke grumbles as he angrily speeds home to find the stupid ninken. He would've gladly stuck to training himself but he's finished his katas all in the morning, the review of the ninjutsu at his disposal quickly (sadly) exhausted of. What he's had in plan for himself didn't amount to much and it's too bad that he's long since had a training regimen, one that he honestly tires of. Sasuke doesn't know what more he can teach himself… though he supposes he can just observe others at the training grounds with his Sharingan. He doesn't want to do that, he doesn't want to copy off of genin, not that there'll be anything they do that he doesn't already know of.

And Kakashi. He still itches to find out the raikiri, see it then copy it for himself. But the man insists on strictly fuuinjutsu, all but ordering him to find the puppy. He doesn't... well. Sasuke ninja leaps past the gate of his family compound.

"Shiro," he says aloud though he doesn't expect a response. Sasuke walks among the many Uchiha houses and keeps an eye and ear out for fast brown movement. He doesn't see any puppy, only the same wooden houses, chipped at the edges, the paint cracked and old. Sasuke tires of the sight. He jumps onto the nearest rooftop, Old Uchiha Hiro's he guesses idly and oversees past the next few houses. When he spins a full circle and back a few times, he scowls.

Sasuke makes hand signs – tiger, boar, ox, dog – his brow twitching; he really doesn't want to bother. Kakashi pisses him off. In a clap, two other Sasukes appear looking just as disgruntled as he. He doesn't know where this dog is and he hopes he finds him quickly. This is too much a waste of his time.

* * *

It's been three hours. When he finds this dog he thinks he's going to cage him; this is ridiculous. There isn't a sign. Not a missed fur hair, not a paw print or scratch - like the dog was never here. Sasuke uses all the tracking skills he has at his disposal (which weren't much compared to an Inuzuka or Hyuuga) to find the damn puppy. He hadn't really wanted to look for him in the first place, considering that he doesn't want to train with the dog but his pride has been hit. Him, the last Uchiha Sharingan, can't even find a defense-less, 9-week old baby animal.

Sasuke keeps looking.

* * *

The sun sets behind the Hokage faces, lighting the founders of the Leaf and the hero of Konoha with red-orange shadows. Sasuke watches the shadows deepen. The darker it gets out, the harder it'll be to find Shiro, another day wasted. The more Shiro might get lost. (He's not worried.) Sasuke is strained, his chakra consumed down to the last flickers as he had jumped all over the village, searching. He still searches on foot however, and his feet blister in his sandals. He can't initiate another clone jutsu, he can't activate his Sharingan for better detail. His energy is depleted.

But he will find the dog. Shiro must be playing him, leading him on and Sasuke won't let himself get upstaged, if it's the last thing he does. He may not have been able to get to training with Kakashi but this is more important, this is personal.

* * *

Kakashi finds him like this still searching, but having taken a break on a bench. Sasuke wakes with a start and immediately his scowl sets. He can hear his teacher sigh. "Tomorrow, then?"

Sasuke struggles to concede and admit his failure, his brow furrows and twitches.

"Yes."

* * *

It's when he hears growling.

The sound is ominous, high but serious in its intention that penetrates to his human instinct, unused and hidden well deep within himself – but not forgotten. It's this instinct that adrenaline surges his chakra levels, that flint spark the neurons in his brain together that make his logical conclusions.

"Shiro," he says and the growling pitches louder.

He walks closer to the low bush, a prickly inconspicuous thing unmanaged long before his clan's massacre. The weeds are dry and rustic brown, enough of a good camouflage for Shiro - he's impressed. But Sasuke can see black pupils framed in thick dog lashes and he knows he's not imagining this. "Come out, would you?"

Shiro barks sharply.

Sasuke bites back a scowl, instead crouches low to the floor. "If you're going to growl at me you should at least do so to my face."

Shiro steps out from under the bushweed, predatory taps of small paws. The ninken circles him all the while growling, making his upset at his presence known.

But Sasuke doesn't give a care about that. He's here and he's found him finally (or Shiro found him and made himself present). Now, the puppy won't be staying any longer alone. If Shiro has a problem with that he can bring it up with his real alpha, Kakashi. Sasuke's not interested.

The dog snarls and Sasuke has half a mind to snarl back. But he's a human ninja, almost thirteen years old and that's too old to stoop to this level. "I hate you too," Sasuke starts and the puppy snorts violently. This knocks curious at the back of his mind, he didn't know ninken could humor. "But Kakashi told me to get you."

At the sound of his teacher's name, Shiro perks up. A fluffy tail twitches, he's personally invested in his words.

"And if you go back with me," the ninken begins a rumble and Sasuke could roll his eyes. "You can return to where you were. With Kakashi. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Shiro looks at him head cocked and Sasuke rises. "That's all I have to say. We don't have to see each other again. Do you understand?" Shiro snaps his teeth at him and Sasuke scoffs with little humor. He shrugs and turns from the stupid animal.

Obviously a no. Sasuke isn't going to force the dog, that isn't a part of his lessons and he isn't going to waste any more time. If the ninken insists on being obstinate then he has nothing to say and better things to do. He's made his truce offer and tried to understand, his mother's fans he's moved to another part of the household far away from intruders. He's done his part. His sandals glow warm blue as he generates the chakra to leave this dog and-

Shiro barks and runs ahead of him, interestingly in the same direction of where his teacher would be. Watching the receding furry form, Sasuke stops the charge of chakra.

Hmph. Whatever.

* * *

"Now that you're both here, Sasuke and-"

"Shiro."

"Shiro-kun. What have you two decided to specialize in? Then we can get started." Sasuke twists at the mouth and stiffly turns away. When he looks at the ground, he can see the ninken lick at his paws. No help there.

"I didn't come here to train," he says and Kakashi looks at him boredly.

"Oh?" the question is disgustingly loaded with fake interest, Sasuke bristles despite himself. "Then pray tell, why did you come?"

Isn't it obvious? "Don't you want him back? He does you."

Kakashi sighs loudly and the sound and length of it pisses him off. He glares as he was wont to do anyway but as always his glares is to no effect. He has the itch to activate his Sharingan.

"I've asked Shiro here to be with you. He's not mine."

Sasuke looks at the dog then, who promptly lays down with his head in small forelegs, napping. He looks back to his sensei. "I don't want him."

A gray eyebrow raises.

He rushes to explain. "I gave it a shot and I don't want to train with him. I don't want him."

"Maa, you must want for something then."

Sasuke flushes dark purple, caught. Kakashi sighs again, a put-upon front that he suspects is for his benefit. Exasperated as if he were a wayward child who just doesn't get it. And he thinks he was too transparent about his need of power, asked too often. Sasuke shrugs his discomfort.

"I don't know what has happened between the two of you… but Shiro is still willing to try even if he may not look it. What say you?" The Uchiha frowns in thought. He stares at the sleeping puppy at his feet. What say him? He doesn't understand the dynamic anymore. Kakashi, Shiro and him: he thought his teacher made all the decisions or the Hokage rather as he had said.

 _And he must follow the Hokage._

Yet Shiro came back of his own volition? Sasuke's confused at the notion, he's heard the yowling and barks after he's kicked him out. And Sasuke may not be an Inuzuka but he can hear. They weren't exactly forgiving sounds.

Yet here he is laying next to him. Not his teacher. Sasuke turns his face away and decides he'll refrain from speaking. Kakashi sighs. "So. Lesson one."

* * *

"If you were to have him identify genju-"

"I know!" Sasuke puts his hands together again, the clap they make stinging at his palms. Shiro barks for yelling at Kakashi. Dumb dog.

It's not like he isn't trying. He's doing his hardest to make an illusion close to his – Itachi's – and he's simultaneously addressing the multiple senses within genjutsu, as many as he can think of. The only problem being that this dog isn't normal or has some other sense that he's not conscious of… that isn't human. Sasuke tries again.

"Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique."

He can see Kakashi watching with a lazy eye, and Sasuke would be offended if he didn't suspect that the look is another front. This is what Kakashi does, act bored but is closely invested as the strongest jounin in the village. Sasuke tells himself this, brushes off the uncomfortable sensation of that one-eyed stare and tries focuses on the ninken before him. His Sharingan rolls and what he sees in his mind ripples to consume his reality.

The forest-clearing of the training grounds they were in dissipates, the change is obvious but well-immersing genjutsu isn't the lesson plan. They are trying to break out.

He decides with what he is most familiar. Shiro wanders along the imagined streets of his imagined clan, innocently curious at the things he's seeing but not worried. As he shouldn't be; Sasuke's not here to hurt him, deaths aren't going to be rewinded for the sake of this training. Though he fears when – if – it comes to the real thing there will be no such restraints.

… Even if he is a dog he doesn't want anyone to know. Sasuke frowns, the last thing he wants is for any being to see the things he's seen. To know of his shame. He didn't open the door sooner, he didn't fight back to save his parents-

He **_ran_** for his life.

Sasuke runs now to catch up to the dog who noses at the buildings and sniffs the dirt floor. He needs to focus on the lesson.

Smell. Touch. Taste. Sight. He imitates the air of a city of where many people live, and not the nature scent of the grass they actually stand on. He paints the roads, sun-bleached dirt and the signs of trampling shoes. When Shiro wags his tongue, Sasuke makes sure he tastes it all with not a drop of smelly air, imagined people and their sweat missing. He sees in black and white filter to which the ninken doesn't notice the difference. Then again, sometimes he can't neither.

Shiro barks, the noise a little ways away and Sasuke turns to the source. A cart. It's tipped over and barren, a crusty old thing that he's only added for realism and dismissed just as quickly. This has got to be pure luck on part by the dog. He can't believe he's been caught so fast by that. He waits to see what happens next.

Shiro investigates further, sniffing, then he opens his mouth wide. With a clamp of his jaw on the rotting wood the cart dissipates in a puff of smoke.

 _What._

The grounds are instantly back once more.

"Good job, Shiro-kun," the ninken thumps his tail wildly, responding with a happy bark. Sasuke grits his teeth and stares at the furry animal before him, this puppy that he thinks isn't much of a baby after all.

"Ah, Sasuke. You didn't let me finish." Kakashi bookmarks his page idly and the genin wants to strangle him to get to the point.

"Finish _what._ "

"You're missing a big part of genjutsu that happens to be a dog's specialty - and some people as well, to be honest." When his Sharingan recedes, he can see his teacher who leans against the tree coolly, bored. The man slumps and the look only makes him feel more disappointed in himself. Sasuke keeps the traitorous thought bottled down. "You're making only half of the illusion."

"I'm not training to improve my genjutsu!"

"No, you're not. You're balancing your skills with Shiro's and frankly you're the one in need of catching up."

Sasuke twitches violently, his hands and his mouth, and he clenches his fists. He bites out. "Then help-me," the words taste bitter from his tongue.

Kakashi stares. "The reason why Shiro's catching you every time is because you are lacking emotion."

He frowns.

"I warned you dogs are emotionally sensitive. They can pick apart genjutsu simply reading the emotions from certain illusions, despite whether all the other senses have been addressed." A slight shrug. "This is ideal concerning your brother however, only if you can do the same."

Doesn't he get it? Sasuke doesn't want to be like _him._

"Why should emotions matter? If you teach me Raikiri… none of this would be necessary."

He's finally done it. Kakashi looks at him closely but Sasuke stands stiff, he's sticking to his words. This is rude of him he's well aware, but he knows when he's right. Sasuke could learn the Chidori and drop this training with ninken, he could beat Gaara, hold his own against Orochimaru and avenge his clan. He wouldn't have to struggle with a dog that can't even speak, he wouldn't have to be sociable. Sasuke could accomplish his goal swiftly and efficiently and then everything would return to normal. No more nightmares, he could finally sleep. The elder ninja can't intimidate him into backing down; Sasuke won't let him. "Your brother, Uchiha Itachi, is the greatest his generation has to offer."

Sasuke bristles and twists at the mouth. "I know that."

"Did you know his main technique is illusions… and clones?"

He pauses, he doesn't understand where Kakashi is going with this.

"Much like Naruto, funny enough. No one, Sharingan or not, can tell if it's really him half the time. 90 % of the time. You will need Shiro." There's a scoff muffled by a mask and Sasuke narrows his eyes.

"How do you know this," he says darkly though he has no way to follow through to the man. That doesn't matter, there's no reason Kakashi should know so much about Itachi. His teacher's not an Uchiha.

"Before he defected I used to be his commanding officer," the ninja says, his words empty and restating the facts. Sasuke freezes. He has to manually swallow the questions he has sprouting in his mind. "And now I am yours."

Sasuke visibly falters at the last quip. There's something wrong about the way Kakashi's spoken, something reminding, something heavy and final. He could scowl at the obvious statement for he knows well that Kakashi is his commanding officer: he's not stupid and he doesn't need to hear him say it aloud. "I have the experience to tell you he is a genius in his prime, and Raikiri or not you will lose, do you understand me?"

"I-"

It's sudden. His sensei looms before him tall and threatening and only reminding of the power he carries locked tight, that this man is an assassin with the default to kill. Shiro whines low and Sasuke could copy the sound. He presses his lips tight not to do so. Sasuke wants to fight back the words because that's what Naruto would do and he cannot fail. He's promised on his parent's graves that he will avenge them and his clan and their honor as one of the fore founders of Konoha. This is true and valid, deserving of the Raikiri. He won't lose.

Though Sasuke has the dark intuition that Kakashi won't wait to listen this.

The ominous feeling disappears so fast he thinks he's imagined it and only the lingering smell of sour-sweet air tells him that he's not crazy. It's this air, leaving by the second, that when he blinks he feels a tiny spark of electricity. It stings, he thinks.

"Anyway, Sasuke. Try again."

* * *

He's home. After training with Kakashi – long, grueling hours of genjutsu – Sasuke's officially done. He's exhausted because aside from him and Shiro refusing to remain on the same page, he doesn't have the chakra control for all the minor details in the illusions. It's a pain. His Sharingan's his only saving grace.

And 'emotions'. Sasuke looks at Shiro then and now, following the furry thing as it hops on his couch and makes a place amongst his pillows. The ninken's figured out every illusion only minutes, if not seconds in. This was the worst waste of time in his life and he would walk away from it all if he wasn't so embarrassed.

He needs to get better.

When Shiro leaps onto his kotatsu padding to his plate, Sasuke's come prepared. He rolls his eyes as the dog eats his rice ball, luckily the fourth one he's already set aside on his plate. This is how it's going to be now, and he sighs heavily. Sasuke wonders how long it'll take.


	6. Chapter 6

He's been improving greatly. As far as Kakashi can tell and despite that Sasuke may not think the same, his student is making progress with the training… and thus, so is Shiro.

It's still a slow-going process. Genjutsu. Break-out. A better genjutsu. Improving. It disturbs Kakashi, puts the future Hokage in him on high guard though he may hide it, that Sasuke can advance so quickly (a dark part in him, prideful). Uchiha's were always known for their affinity to fire – their kekkai genkai for genjutsu. Much like his brother he is, no matter that Sasuke has effectively disowned his elder sibling. Too bad.

Still. He's wary to give his student any the tools that which to kill them with (and didn't Itachi enact the massacre using the ultimate Tsukuyomi?) Teaching Sasuke to train with the pup solely for a future battle with his only brother is a bit morbid. Though that is exactly what this has boiled down to. Kakashi tells the last Uchiha just how to train Shiro, just how to mold the puppy into the killer animal he wants him to be. And then he lets the two go. He wishes there was some other way.

"Homework," he says and Sasuke gives him a blank look.

"Ah, don't look at me like that, this is only more help."

A glare. "What is it."

Too bad he can't teach the kid any manners.

Kakashi bends to pet Shiro, who appreciates greatly any affection he can get, the poor thing. Under his gloved fingers brown fur parts cleanly, the body underneath warm and heart-pumped for touch. He regrets sending the ninken off, obviously Sasuke never heeded his letter. He sighs.

"I want you to go on a mission together. Just the two of you." Before Sasuke can protest because he is in the motions of protest and Kakashi notes the deepened scowl, he raises a hand. The kid may be bitter still but he doesn't want to hear it. "Teamwork, Sasuke. This is homework just for you and Shiro, and if it makes you feel better you get to be mission captain."

Sasuke ticks visibly and he can hear a 'tch'.

"You'll get full endorsement. I had to petition Sandaime-sama this for a week, you know."

"I don't have time for a mission. My match-"

"Consider this training, Sasuke. Very, very necessary," he sing-songs.

When his student grumbles an angry mutter about 'D-ranks' and 'Icha Icha' and 'trying to get out of training me,' Kakashi shrugs. This sparks another scowl and doesn't help towards the image of the irresponsible, student-siphoning teacher he may have in mind. Though he doesn't care. This is the first in a while that he's earnestly happy to be here, teasing this student. Shiro chirps in and the atmosphere has temporarily lifted: his Team 7 all over again. Kakashi salutes to the two of them, one scroll of mission-details empty and moves to the next line on his list.

* * *

When he knocks on the door to the Haruno family home, he can't say he's surprised seeing her father there.

What he is surprised is the bright shock of pink hair tufted on his head, sideburns and chin. It's a color that he hadn't believed natural - maybe some obscure way to impress Sasuke - but his theory's complete disfounded. It's pink. "Who are you?"

"Ah, I'm Hatake Kakashi, Sakura's-"

"Sensei!" he hears and peeks over the man's shoulder to wave cheerfully. Sakura who is visibly shocked to see him here, widens green eyes and parts at her mouth. She blinks and leaps off the couch she'd curled on. "Is there a mission? I'm sorry, I-" she looks down at her pajamas. Kakashi's caught her at a bad time.

"No, no, that's not it."

Her dad opens the door wider. "Why don't you come in?" and Kakashi shakes his head.

"May I borrow your daughter, please?" he asks calmly. It's not a mission he wants to placate because then he'll never get to accomplish what he's set out to do. Haruno's face may have fallen a little in confusion and in appropriate concern but he gives in fast enough.

When the door shuts just the two of them, Sakura looks up in worry and he knows she's thinking of Sasuke.

It's the only possible explanation and she's always been a smart girl. He can't blame her. She's the one who saw first-hand of Orochimaru and of the curse seal on the Uchiha. She's the closest to know what it's capable of. And so soon into the Chuunin Exams she must be thinking that the reason he's here, on such random notice. Kakashi alleviates her worries quickly, he gives her a masked smile, and green eyes are so hopeful.

If he's going to do time-travel he's going to do it right. He's not going to leave her defense-less. She doesn't have a Sharingan and thus can't learn Chidori but… "How would you like to learn Water Dragon Jutsu?"

* * *

Kakashi thinks he's been both blessed and cursed. He's assigned the team with the most potential for power: Sakura, this clan-less ninja with the chakra control that could rival a young-Tsunade's or a Hyuuga. And the other two, Naruto and Sasuke… powerhouses, but so damaged. He doesn't know where his bad luck is coming from. Or maybe it's karma – for all the things he's done.

He's trying to change nonetheless. And as he oversees her hand-signs – perfect, slow and calculated – Kakashi knows he's making at least one right choice. Sakura finishes every one; she's memorized them just as good as a Sharingan. He's proud. She calls out.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

-from the bath house hot springs they stand on if only to practice her water-walking too. She's quick to learn, however… A little whip of water rises slowly, thin like a vine and tiny too – a baby dragon if he must. The move growls cutely and Sakura blushes. Her dragon flops to the water in a splash, Kakashi smiles. "That was a good effort."

She reddens further though not from the residual steam of the springs. Kakashi sighs, he's not paid enough to address self-esteem issues because he's not trained for that. Though if the kid ever wants to improve she needs to take it a step farther. And so does he. "Sakura. Don't be afraid," he says though he doesn't have the experience to back his words. Her red qipao dress shuffles, she's too nervous to try. Kakashi asks again. "You use your power half-way."

"I…" she thinks before she speaks and he wishes his other students did the same. Sakura frowns her mind-grinding, already reviewing her mistakes. Kakashi waits. "I guess I am," she confesses half-heartedly.

"Hm."

When she says nothing to continue he's forced to ask. "Well. Why is that?"

"I don't know."

Kakashi nods appropriately, he studies her person once more.

"Sakura, you don't have much chakra." At his words his student slumps in dejection, flushing across her cheeks in shame. The reaction is unwarranted he thinks, so he has to hastily explain. "That's not a bad thing."

Pink perks up in a flash so fast and she looks at him with consideration. Good. He's got her attention. "What is bad is to hesitate using what chakra you do have."

"But-"

"The only way you can improve your stamina is to push limits, hm? I know it seems like it's taking a lot out of you but you need to push back on that feeling." Kakashi stares at her then and for her sake, he removes his forehead protector.

"Don't worry," he smiles. "I'll make sure you won't get too low in chakra. I promise I won't let my teammates down," he says.

Sakura looks at him and everyone he knows can't help but to narrow onto his Sharingan. Her stance is curious, pink brows raised and thinking. Then she nods, quick and decisive and trusting, so Kakashi gives her Gai's patented Nice-Guy pose.

"Don't be afraid to get messy a little, hm? Sasuke's not here watching, now is he?" he teases. She eeps and Kakashi smiles to his eyes. "Once more Sakura, give it your all." Obito rolls into action.

"Yes, sensei!"

* * *

He should've known. He should've known. He should've but he didn't and now he's paying for it all.

No. _He's_ not the one paying.

Looking at Sasuke who stands with Shiro at his side watching them with those angry dark eyes, he really should've known. The kid is always angry, doesn't know how to be what else, but Kakashi has the personal experience to look past those eternally violent feelings. Sakura doesn't.

"What the _hell_ ," Sasuke says darkly and danger drips from his tongue and his voice. Sakura's not stupid nor deaf, she wilts at the look in his eyes.

"Sasuke." Kakashi says once in warning.

Sharingans whip up to meet his, the two tomoe oscillating so fast that it worries him. He knows logically it isn't another 4 years until Sasuke gets his Mangekyou but his body has always been on guard, a ninja for two lifetimes. Kakashi compartmentalizes the dangerous intent next to his vow to protect his comrades. Sakura. He needs to get a handle on the situation. Quickly. "Calm yourself."

"Calm-!?" Sasuke narrows dangerously and Shiro looks between the two back and forth, Kakashi and Sasuke. He knows the ninken can sense the emotions rising, thickening the air with soured chakra. It's soon to _snap_ , caught. He knows Shiro can smell the bitter guilt and betrayal, the way it makes itself real, and alive, a visible other person there between them.

Sasuke does in fact calm down though not in the way he wants. The Uchiha falls into himself almost instantly and Kakashi fears. There's a coldness to his eyes, receding and accepting, he hates to watch it fester. The kid walks himself across the bank – _looks like his chakra control improved too_ – stopping in front of Sakura. He should've known.

"You'd teach her but not me," he says, voice empty. Sakura starts to blink rapidly, Kakashi can smell the salt from here.

"I teach all my students-"

"I have a match, Kakashi!" Sasuke growls and she winces but she can't say anything.

"So does Naruto."

"Oh, so that's how it is. Shirking in your duties double-time." The elder ninja looks at him. Sasuke glares back.

(Too young to be this angry.)

"That loser's going to lose anyway. But apparently that's the only way to get you to teach, is it?" His question is harsh and Sasuke ignores it when Sakura gasps aloud. He can't even do one thing right.

Kakashi tries to stop this because they are a team, they passed together as one. Twice. They fought Zabuza as one, took the Chuunin Exams as one, and faced Orochimaru together. By account Naruto may have held the man off, Sasuke may have gotten hurt but Sakura helped them heal. Him get control of himself again. This can't be how they end. "That's not true, Sasuke."

"It is. I'm just that unlucky enough to have the short draw when it comes to a match," his tone is dark and bitter, the rift has already begun. It's earth-quaking, widening, his kid is so close but so far away.

"Would you even step in when I lose to Gaara?"

Kakashi stills until his body turns cold, his mind halts in their tracks sudden and screech-sounding. He's shocked silent. Sakura is properly horrified, she interrupts with an outburst. "Of course he would, Sasuke, how could you-?" she falters at the notion of her Uchiha losing, at the manifested question itself, at the damning silence coming from _him,_ and Sasuke who continues to ignore her.

There. Classic disgusted scowl. Kakashi thinks this time he well deserves it. He looks back calmly, his mask always hides. "Or will you sit and _watch_?" The Sharingan recedes and having made his point, his student turns away. Kakashi watches him go.

When Shiro comes closer to nose at his ankles, Kakashi doesn't have the energy to provide any affection. There's a sad whimpering coming from him, coming from her; he's so, so sorry. He doesn't get the luxury to wallow in his transgressions, that'd be selfish of him when his comrade right here is hurting. "Sakura."

Out of all his students, she interrupts him. "It's okay, sensei, I'm used to it by now. I can… deal." The word comes out confused and soft-like: she doesn't know how to deal. She doesn't know at all.

Kakashi hurries. "That was uncalled for. I'll make sure he gets proper disciplinary action-"

"Please don't, sensei."

At the earnest pleading in her voice, he stops. He breathes. His brain's really failed him now, this the greatest ninja Konoha has to offer. There's a pattern knitting itself already, piecing together the pieces that his time traveling has passed. Of Sasuke and forgiveness and unwarranted mercy and the maelstrom that is Sasuke all over again. This is how it starts.

* * *

Getting back to training is impossible. Sakura is disheartened, and maybe it's hard for him to relate to a twelve year old civilian girl but the power beneath Sasuke's words… he should've known.

Not like this atmosphere is anything new. Sasuke leaving, leaving while he walks away from the utter destruction he's left behind. And now she doesn't want to try anymore, her heart's not in it, she had heart but it's dead. For his sake he thinks, and because he's her commanding officer, Sakura remains.

Kakashi doesn't want that from her. Kakashi doesn't have a choice. He does have a choice and he chose _her_ because that is the logical conclusion when performing his duties as a ninja. He continues to keep her here and to teach her this because she takes priority now. What'll happen to Sasuke as a result...

Well, he has to find out in this future.

(the hard way)

* * *

#

When he wakes up, Sakura is dead.

This is what Sai tells him, the first thing that Sai tells him despite that he's still roughly healing from his fight with Sasuke. This isn't what he wants to hear. This fucking kid of Danzo's really has no tact.

His heart drops in his gut, ugly and sinking further, deeper and knife-twisting, the feeling couldn't possibly get any worse and then Sai continues.

"We have to stop Naruto."

* * *

When he arrives at the crime scene (because it is a crime, isn't it always a crime to kill a 15-year-old girl?) there isn't much to see. He's a kilometer away because he can't get any closer… Naruto, whose fleshed out Kyuubi-form has chakra-forced back everyone from the area.

(He needs to save this student, please.)

Kakashi yells over the seething red vines, the blasting hot air that burns at his skin, steaming him alive. " _Yamato!_ " Sai keeps near him and if he'd paid any attention he'd say he looked worried. It's a tense few seconds of silence, but loud and rumbling and primal fear. Then:

"Senpai!"

They still have a chance.

"Hold Naruto's tails down, I need to see him from the front."

Yamato puts his palms together starting the wood jutsu characteristic of the First to help. Sai reaches for his scrolls, ink birds distracting Naruto with something to hit. When Kakashi bounds around to see his student, he can't recognize him anymore. There's a terrible static darkness across his skin demonizing him, in-humanizing him: he can hear the kid under it all scream. First Sasuke, now Sakura, now Naruto. Please, he's reduced to praying. Don't let it be too late. "Naruto, listen to me. Calm yourself."

CRACK!

Kakashi dodges the whip of a tail by a hairs-breadth and the heat scorching the sweat off his brow. He flips aside, he can see Yamato frown in concentration and try again. He has to try too. "You're upset-" There's a strangled roar that resounds in the lake that used to be here, a dried up bed of rock that remains. The echo thrums his ears and the beating of his heart, his body vibrates.

"Sakura-" Another screech, Kakashi curses and blocks his hands over his ears. When the tail-whip comes back in a red trail of demon chakra, Kakashi's only saving grace is Obito. That, and pure luck. His skin is _peeling_.

 _'Don't let her burn._ '

This isn't working. Kakashi has to watch as his last student kills himself because he has to watch his last student, even if he's at his worst. He couldn't see Sakura (he couldn't stop her, dammit, just like he couldn't stop Sasuke, _why_ ) Kakashi hates. They're mourning, him and Naruto, only nobody out there can hear, or at least nobody who cares. And he stands waiting for the next chance hit knowing that he's unlucky enough not to get his turn. Yamato and Sai… they keep trying.

* * *

" _Sen... sei._ "

He's tired, he hasn't slept for all the screams and his chakra's practically depleted. But Naruto is alive. "I know," he says.

His last begins to cry and Kakashi would rather have a raging Kyuubi Jinchuuriki than this. This, Konoha's golden boy as he paws the hot gravel, clutching for something that isn't there and it'll never come back. The boy doesn't dare touch Sakura with claws half-out and her body… her body dead.

No. More than dead.

Her skin has peeled under the heat of Naruto's rage, melted plasticky under his foxfire but that isn't what scares him the most. It's the damning hole, the carved circle straight in the middle of her chest that was her heart but empty. She's charred and burned all over, yes, and he wouldn't dare to look any more – but she's not just burned by Naruto. Her chest, _that hole_ , the edges that encircle the sinking emptiness is black and twisted and snowing her body ash. There's no smell from there, Sakura or meat or otherwise – nothing – but the smell of power. The smell of dark fire and the earth after rain… petrichor.

It smells like lightning.

* * *

When he tells Naruto this because he has to tell Naruto this if he wants to save him and he has to save him, his kid… can't cope.

" _You're lying!_ " He wishes he was. Kakashi wants to sleep, wants to cry, wants to die than do this and see this. His team coming apart.

"Sasuke killed her." He refuses to sugar-coat his words.

He knows that hole. He knows how it'd look and how it'd smell and how it'd feel. Like old skin twisted and made solid, an attack from his Chidori is an ugly one indeed. It's wrong, it's unnatural, electricity makes for the more horrifying burns for even a little voltage can kill and the Chidori is an extreme. Bubbling blood singes like the butt of a cigarette, a forever mark impossible to fill and hard-dry against his knuckles. The curse of his Sharingan, Kakashi's physically unable to forget. It was Haku… and was Rin.

Chidori in the chest of a teammate.

(Sasuke, who takes after him well.)

When he watches Naruto whose blank expression watches Sakura, watches what _gift_ Sasuke has left them with his presence, Kakashi can't feel too bad. This is a clear statement and his uncertainty is officially done. As interim Hokage – Danzo, whom Sai's told him has gone missing – he's keeping the hunt upon Sasuke active ( _he's pissing on her sacrifice._ ) He needs to stop feeling like this anymore because he needs to move on already because he's a ninja and he needs to get used to this. Kakashi has a village to help restore order to after the invasion by Pain. There's no time, and he can't look back.

#

* * *

Though Kakashi thinks as he watches young-Sakura try again the water jutsu, he's spoken too soon. Kakashi is back even if he didn't believe it, how or why. He's here, unfortunately. Some god gave him this, a god he would say though he's really betting it was karma. This must be what he deserves.

Obviously. What kind of teacher is he to emphasize teamwork only to perform the exact opposite? Naruto and Sakura who blindly followed his teachings (that he himself never followed, never, Sasuke really is his best student) only to lose for doing so. Well, he won't make that same mistake again, and he won't hesitate this time. When Kakashi finally gets around getting used to this, this feeling, he'll complete his mission and save her. It's the only way.

"One more time, Sakura," he says.


	7. Chapter 7

He's so mad. Shiro is there by the bank watching, tiny and quiet, and Sasuke doesn't have the restraint to hold himself. His hands make signs by memory on rote, though he thinks at this point the action is unnecessary. He's so angry he could set fire all on his own.

Why **_her?_**

Shiro paces in the corner of his periphery, beady eyes following him. Sasuke doesn't care. When his Katon blows a fireball that eats up the oxygen in his vicinity, heat gusts the hair pores on his face and burns at the skin of his lips. Yes. The lake steams, the crows have finally shut-up, thin wisps of black smoke exit his nose and open mouth. He's down half his chakra, another half to go.

He makes the motions again because he's on a roll, he'll boil this lake if he can't Water Dragon Jutsu.

Stupid Kakashi.

* * *

When the air is heavy with condensation choking in his throat and lungs with the humidity, his breathing labors despite it all. He's melting. Sasuke folds his fingers slow and languid, the heat is making him sleepy and he can't see for all the dense fog…

Which is why when Shiro yelps his body awakens with a start.

 _Crap!_ his mind shoots and the flame putters outs in a burst flare. Sasuke waves at the vapors ineffectively, abandons the action to switch to a clone jutsu. The more people, the more ground covered. The faster-

It's a spatial recognition, he suddenly realizes when his clone pops and he knows exactly where the ninken is. No wonder Naruto uses the move so much. "Shiro," he says when he finds him and with his Sharingan activated studies the dog for any burns. The puppy sneezes violently but looks relatively unharmed. He relaxes an inch.

When Sasuke thinks it deeper – he's made his point, he's proved his worth if the steaming state of the lake is anything to go by, _Shiro_ – he comes to a decision.

 _I'm done here._ Sasuke turns knowing the ninken will follow. Currently however, Shiro is preoccupied, furiously pawing at his tongue.

* * *

The next morning he wakes early. That night Sasuke sleeps a fitful sleep - worse than usual. He has been waiting to rise for half an hour and the ticking time down had been stressing him. Shiro always wakes before he does somehow, and Sasuke fears the reason. Maybe naturally, maybe because he's a dog, but then again maybe _'-they are emotionally sensitive'_. His nightmares he's best kept to himself but he guesses some things are inevitable.

Nonetheless today is going to be a fruitful day despite his beginning headache and despite what he saw yesterday. He'll make sure of it.

When he's done breakfast for the both of them, he packs his weapons pouch. Shiro noses at his feet curious and demanding, Sasuke ignores. He's not training with the dog, he's not training with anyone. No; Sasuke's stiffly irritated and he feels he well should be. As rightful heir to the Uchiha, the last of his clan and second-only Sharingan…

He can't believe he's been passed up for Sakura.

Sasuke grits his teeth and a pursed curl of his lips shows. This is ridiculous and pissing him off. He wants to yell at his teacher and demand to know why because he deserves to know why-

Why ninken, why him, why Sakura, _whydidn'tyousayanything?_

-but as usual he has to find things out himself. Trial and error and sleepless hours of ongoing practice because though he's number one rookie, he knows he's no genius. Self-training is the only way. He has to survive his match, he's not going to be another notch with which Gaara uses to _'justify his existence,'_ whatever that means. He has to get more power because Sasuke has to avenge his family. When Shiro digs at his toes peeking through his sandals, Sasuke shakes the dog off.

"No," he says and Shiro blinks at him. Sasuke rolls his eyes. But he concedes to the small animal, "I'll be back." _Late._ He needs this training.

It's the first in a while that he's had to say that. To have somebody – or some being, he guesses – waiting for him at the end of the day when he comes home.

(It's okay.)

* * *

Why does it feel like he's not-moving?

Sasuke round-kicks the training stump: again, again; thump, thwack. His feet hurt. His one leg that he stands on is going numb and had long stopped prickling with needles. It's just him and the tree and the rhythmic smacking that never gets any louder, and that doesn't help for the uneasy gut-panic he feels. This is supposed to be stress relieving. His limbs are going cold.

"134, 135, 6-7-8- _nine._ " Sasuke inhales and exhales, he needs to breathe but he can't catch any air. His chest hurts with all the pounding and it absolutely destroys him to swallow.

 _How does Lee do this?_

"143, 1-" Sasuke coughs spittle. It's a hacking, debilitating cough that makes him latch onto the stump for balance with sickening desperation: clenching for life if he could even find one. It makes his Sharingan oscillate and spin but he doesn't want to see any more. He already knows what this is.

This is happening again. Betrayal, though this time he should've learned, this time it's his fault. He shouldn't have thought that the only other Sharingan was something like-

(family)

His teacher's not. Kakashi is. They did say Kakashi's a genius, graduated from the Academy at six, just like _him_ – _'I used to be his commanding officer'_. The evidence is so obvious.

This is embarrassing and pathetic. He should've known. Sasuke kicks the tree again-again and he sees the tree as himself. Training.

* * *

"I'm home." Sasuke doesn't expect much, he's said it on auto because the thoughts in his head are screaming. He's not much of a talker but it does help.

Tiny taps putter on their way to his front door, light and clacking nails against the tatami. He doesn't mind because the sound drowns what's in his head. "Shiro." His voice swallows around the name.

The ninken swishes his tail slowly and waiting, intelligent eyes blink. When Shiro nears to sniff at his weapons pouch, Sasuke manually remembers with sudden clarity.

"It's yours," he says, and the puppy snatches the item from its holster, digs and finds a small paper bag of dog treats. "You have to stop eating my food," he says by way of explanation. Shiro barks his protest, and Sasuke smiles.

He's trained grueling and his body's too strained to move any further, this is why he makes the decision to sit where he is with his back against the door. Shiro lies next to his thigh. Sasuke's knuckles are bloody, caked dust and trapped sweat run along his forearms because his bandages wilted to pieces. He's tired and he's here, and Shiro is there. There's an itch under his fingers to do something, Shiro is mindlessly eating so Sasuke lets his hand slip into thick brush, lets his hand move back and forth.

He didn't know puppies were so warm – and cleaner than Sasuke is – fragile-small and young. A heart beats fast in there, crazy fast like a rollercoaster; Sasuke is worried then pleasantly surprised. His eyes widen at the tiny life at his fingers. The furry tail taps the underside of his wrist for a moment, acknowledgement, and then Shiro returns to eating. Sasuke pets him.

(It's nice, he thinks, at least a little better than okay.)

When Shiro is done and lays down satisfied, animal form sprawled lazy and pampered, Sasuke's lip twitches. "Better?" A brown tail thumps the ground. "Hn."

 _That's good_ , he thinks, he continues to scratch through his fur. The demarcation where tan meets white is obvious, curious, Sasuke traces the spot and Shiro huffs. "What did you even do all day?" he asks though he doesn't expect an answer. Shiro's leg twitches, Sasuke's finally doing something right.

"You're waiting too," he concludes and the leg stops but the tail moves idly.

It's interesting. He found common ground with another animal. Sasuke scritches that funny line again because he's bored and at least somebody should feel happy. Kakashi's supposed to train him ninken summoning, the two of them, and they're waiting.

 _We've both been left behind._

* * *

When Shiro whines a short pleading of help or permission, Sasuke scorns his asking. "No."

He's in bed, dark blue covers and white sheets, reading with his head against a pillow. He can watch as Shiro tries to climb up the mattress, short legs scrambling only to fall onto the floor again. What an idiot.

"You have your own bed." The ninken whines. Sasuke scoffs.

He pretends turns to reading, ignoring when the puppy tries again. Amused, Sasuke watches out of the corner of his eye, noting the improved distance with each attempt. Hn. Last minute ditch effort, Shiro bites into his comforter (he's going to reprimand that later, not yet) and Sasuke can feel a small change in energy. It's Shiro, who giving up on climbing the normal way, holds fast to the bed focusing chakra onto his four paws. Cheater.

When he's made it over on top Sasuke doesn't bother telling him to get off. His head's bleary with all the training anyway. "You cheated," he tells him instead, lazy and eyes closed, and his voice drowning. Shiro steals under his pillow quickly. The puppy shuffles deeper with an audible huff.

For some reason, Sasuke doesn't bother this either. He can barely keep the sleep from getting him, his breathing slows. "Shiro." The dog makes a toasty pillow barring the cold-shock of a wet nose at his neck. Fur is trapped soft, tickling at his collar, static at his ear. He can feel another heartbeat.

(It's _safe._ )

And too much for him. Before the dark edges in his mind speed and narrow and meet, Sasuke tries to hold on to some thread of reason. Because this… this won't last.

"I'm sorry," he says suddenly, loudly and Shiro is silent. "It was my mom's." Sasuke doesn't know why he's talking, he's tired, too tired to stop himself. Too tired to make sense. Eyes lidded and cracked, he's distant at the ceiling.

"Nobody can use them anymore. It was stupid. You're just a dog - I'm sorry."

 _(Why would you choose me?)_

Darkness closes and he sleeps.

* * *

The morning dark is cold and the wind biting but these parts of the Uchiha grounds is pure memory. Walking is easy, the stars still shine but the moon is gone. It doesn't matter. Sharingan is independent of the moon and the shrine grounds need no light. They need red and black, the epitome of clan blood. They need proof before they let you in.

 _'Nakano shrine, main hall, seventh tatami on the far right.'_

Sasuke visits.


	8. Chapter 8

"I have been summoned."

Sasuke doesn't react at first because he is focused in his training, he thinks, he feels a second skin wash over his body. It prickles like it does when he fought with Naruto against Zabuza, knowing without knowing that the other boy was the cloned Shruiken. This is the same. He has a feel where Shiro is and will be, adjusts the genjutsu in tune with the other animal. A taste of what Kakashi is talking about when he lectures bonds and teamwork… that, until everything breaks.

Sasuke whips his head to his sensei with red eyes free-wheeling. "What."

Kakashi nods sadly as if actions were out of his hands, as if he weren't responsible, as if things 'couldn't be helped'. He has the audacity to shrug. Sasuke glowers. "I've been ordered a long-term mission. Two weeks."

Sasuke closes in on himself, mind calculating but he already knows the answer. Two weeks minus the time he has left equals two days. Two days before the finals of the Chuunin Exams start. Two days is before his match with Gaara of the Sand.

Two days just in time before he dies.

Sasuke tries to keep the frustration in, to school his face into a proper mask – like the ANBU that his brother was – but it's not working. He vents in breath, in-out- _stuck_ -choke and Sasuke can't catch his air. There is a panting of stale oxygen that is part panic, part an attempt to calm himself. Bitter, short breaths that could instantly combust in a Katon… he could kill something, burn-him. Sasuke doesn't know how to process this feeling, this absolute, heart-wrenching detest.

At himself, he part-thinks, he's really too emotional. Too hopeful. Sasuke swallows thickly and he makes a note to beat the feeling out of him later.

"Then what do you suggest I do. Homework," he says bitterly, barely holding back the infernal bite and the screams. He was pissed and frustrated before but not like this, not this close. He shouldn't be surprised (though he is.)

Kakashi tells him what he should do in a monotone order, a long-term assignment, if not the last. He drones with his eye to the sky. When the man finally acknowledges him, finally engages with just what he is doing, he looks at his Sharingan with one dark eye lidded and dopey and empty. It's the color gray instead of its usual black, washed out and unrecognizable. The look scares him. "I apologize for the inconvenience," he says.

 _Liar._

Sasuke could laugh if it was funny and if it wasn't at his expense. Instead he keeps his mouth shut. Kakashi doesn't say anything either.

* * *

Shiro isn't good at staying focused. Without Kakashi to be here and regulate the training – the true alpha that he actually follows – the puppy doesn't bother to follow rules. He may even be deliberately disobeying, or whatever he thinks he's doing. Sasuke doesn't care the source reason, he just wants to end it.

"Seriously, what is it now?"

He doesn't know much about puppies and packs and betas but this, he thinks, would be classified as a 'temper tantrum'. Shiro grumbles curled up on the floor as he is, tail tucked in folded legs and nose in his paws. His ears are tufted thick, tan and melded close to his head. Sasuke sighs.

"Shiro." He crouches to where the ninken is, par on his level because maybe that'll help. He hopes. "I don't understand dog-speak."

He gets a huff for his honesty.

Sasuke pockets the kunai in his hand, he had it out for training but he guesses they aren't training anymore. Kakashi said that teamwork is everything, mandatory and imperative, and that he must work with the ninken in tandem. But what should he do when the ninken doesn't want to work with him?

( _Two weeks._ )

"Shiro, what's wrong?" he asks and he never asks. No one asks him either for that matter. The puppy tightens inward at the question, refusing the hand that Sasuke intended to slip in, maybe scratch his belly to distract him a little.

Smart dog.

"You don't want to do this anymore? Fine," Sasuke says as he seats himself where he is and chooses to ignore the dog any further. At his words Shiro peeks his furry head, perking his tail a-wagging.

Of course. Great, he could roll his eyes. Sasuke shakes his head. "Take a break. Run around. Pee or whatever - have fun," he waves him off because obviously this was the end-goal. Shiro chirps in response.

* * *

The sun is hidden in the clouds and the wind is slow. The shadows of the trees happen to reach right over his eyes. Good. With Shiro scampering off there's nothing he can do, he's already trained this morning (he still isn't getting anywhere). He might as well sleep.

When they come home it's a more chipper returning - Shiro who has been pushed at his sensory limits and his working mind patterns, his physical speed… but mostly been allowed to play. The ninken is happy. With energy to spare he runs to and fro bringing gifts to Sasuke's hand, only to go back and find further random knick knack. Sasuke doesn't mind, he throws whatever sticks he's been given and sometimes Shiro chases after them, and sometimes he don't.

(It's easy.)

* * *

On the other hand, it's also hard. The air is cold enough to inflame the both of their noses, Sasuke and Shiro, who promptly sneezes into furry paws. This is stupid.

Sasuke wipes the sweat out his eyes because his Sharingan is important and the water-salt burns. The heat of his body is sharp, an obvious furnace of pumping blood because he's the only being running this hot, he's the only one who has to do this. Homework. Kakashi will get his if he catches pneumonia.

Though the man won't even care, probably. Sasuke drops the thought.

It's too early and too cold, too exhausting to do this and succeed. But he has to try. "Earth Release: Fanged Art Pursuit," he says and Shiro is gone.

Sasuke runs.

* * *

It's a humming in the Earth louder and buzzing closer, nearer as Shiro comes. Sasuke speeds over the land. This is how they are bonded, through a thick crust of rock and dirt and grass, knowing without knowing where the other is. Shiro is surprisingly a patient dog. He doesn't act so quickly as to attack at the first opportunity and he doesn't so much as to make a twitch. The ninken likes to wait him out, to stalk and this Sasuke learns the hard way that his olfactory senses are _good_. Even through the cold, foggy air, he's a predator; he's a cat.

He's also too young to break through the frozen earth, to be quick enough. Too young to bite him very well anyway. Sasuke and Shiro have to keep trying.

* * *

Fourteen times. This homework is a joke, this homework is a lie, it's a betraying, Kakashi just wants to-

"Shiro, once more." The ninken grumbles because they've been practicing for days the same thing, not getting anywhere. Sasuke's just as frustrated as him. He's doing his best as 'mission captain', secondary alpha, not to let it get to him (and not to let it burn). Good ninjas don't allow emotions. He may hate this of Kakashi, hate what he's done and where he stands but Kakashi isn't here anyway and orders are orders.

Even if they are gripping at his hair, pulling at his teeth, itching under his skin _so utterly stupid_ of a training. Even if this is useless against Gaara.

Earth Release for a _Sand_ shinobi.

He makes the hand signs – tiger, snake, dragon, dog – and waits. There's got to be something better. And there is, right?

* * *

In the daytime, the Nakano Shrine isn't as looming. It's quiet and peaceful. The trees that surround the area are most of the same height and bright green in the wake of spring. They sway with the wind in sync, rustle their leaves like hands clapping and the sound is inspiring. The entrance is red and gold - and a little white, there is a placard of a fan at the top. Sasuke follows the steps but he's done this before, having been here many times.

Ever since the massacre, the place is deserted. The Nakano Shrine may be on Uchiha grounds but in its heyday it was open to all public: inner Konohans and foreigners alike. Now no one comes except him. Sasuke would take the time to maintain the place but it's uncommonly huge, sacred, he wasn't allowed when his father conducted clan meetings in there.

(And his brother too, he was allowed.)

But no one is here anymore to stop him from entering the double-gated doors, from by-passing the black Uchiha stone. He thinks the ghosts understand. Without his family around there's no one to help him with his Sharingan. No Kakashi. So he must go back to the source where his brother once directed him; he needs more power. Sasuke will train in this.

* * *

It's become a habit. He likes to visit. This is the only place that is familiar, that is family even though it was by the words of his "brother". An inanimate shrine that tells him more than anyone could, than anyone did… and he's learning. He's finally a real Uchiha.

All the secrets of the Sharingan stored in one place, this is where, this is power, maybe he can win-

Sasuke follows the laws on stone and trains.

* * *

It's not immediate truthfully, it takes a while. But he sticks to this path because… that homework was stupid, that training wouldn't help, Shiro would die and he will die. He can't. Sasuke trains himself here with the ghosts directing him and it's been a week's investment. Four days left.

He's tired and it's still morning, if only a little past 11. In his bed, Shiro naps. The dog's never questioned him for them teamwork-training less, then again, he's a dog. Maybe the ninken doesn't care. Shiro follows him into the shrine a few times, investigative then bored, scratching at the wall to remind him to open the latch. Otherwise no opinion, only him occasionally sleeping in while Sasuke goes out to train.

That was today. Sasuke peeks him napping before he resolutely steels himself. He doesn't want to check because he doesn't want to be disappointed, he doesn't want to disappoint his family. But really, he needs to see if he's bore fruit.

So Sasuke stands in front of his bathroom mirror, his skin is pallid, heavy bags underneath his eyes. His hair is oily and matted with sweat, and he smells like old dirt and the morning. He's still out of breath, hard panting from running to get to here, from his training.

(But Sasuke was faster, he could see the crisp of the leaves on the way home, _please_ ,)

When he directs what's left of his chakra flow – instantaneous, instinctive – black becomes red. And there in his right eye, he holds three tomoe.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note/Disclaimer.**  
Maybe some of you have noticed this coming but I'm going to go right out and say it. This is racist. Kakashi is actively being racist, if one were to be politically correct. I understand if many of you do not want to continue, I do want to note that I am open to discussion and criticism and questions and concerns because I love this story – I don't endorse racism: fictional Uchiha or otherwise – but I love writing this story and exploring more of the canon world it was based off of. Hopefully this doesn't come off as OOC of Kakashi… and more his logical ninja side taking a turn for the worse. More hopefully y'all keep reading. Thank you,

-hanareader

* * *

The chakra run is a marathon, a rhythm of feet across trees that aren't familiar. These trees are thinner at the branches, tall and lean in rows. They are darker than Konoha's forest, with deep green leaves as dark as the bark it grows off, as pointy and as sharp. When Kakashi quick-steps on a branch it breaks, it shreds with the force of his run and he doesn't look back.

He's looking for Obito.

This is what he tells to himself in a mantra, a desperate yelling that no one else can hear, not even himself. This is his self-assigned mission that the Hokage's warned him off of but the Hokage doesn't know what's at stake. The Sandaime doesn't know the future. He doesn't know that Obito is where it stemmed, further back is where it started, Itachi is where it grows, and Sasuke is where it ends. It's a pattern here, he thinks.

But that's for another time. Now he does this, he runs away from just what he is doing. Obito helps, makes this escape more than what it really is but not good enough, not enough of a reason to justify _just what he is doing_.

Because really, he's leaving Sasuke there to die. Plain and simple. Time is everything to this kid, only a couple of weeks until the exams. Time that is to train. But Kakashi is stealing this time, wasting this time, burning the days; he is a time traveler. He's choosing to walk away.

Another branch _snaps-!_

To say otherwise is a lie and a plea for innocence but neither Kakashi nor Sasuke is innocent. They are the last few Sharingan left in this world and that's incriminating grounds enough. He should know. He's done most of the same things Sasuke will do (or Sasuke will do the things he has done, Kakashi can't tell if there's a difference between teacher and student) but he knows he's no better.

At least the kid sticks by his actions and believes, lucky him that he doesn't feel – he makes for a strong ninja. At least he looks you in the eye when he punches you through the chest. Kakashi didn't teach him that, that's a brand all on his own because his teacher runs rather than to face the truth. His teacher couldn't make the right choice and end things swiftly, to complete his mission and save his student ( _which-student?_ ) His teacher's a coward.

Or a traitor.

Kakashi may not be an Uchiha but he might as well. His Sharingan's ill-got and he regrets since (but it still counts.) Gods, he hates himself.

He keeps looking.

* * *

The next time he sees Sasuke is on the battlefield, and they are losing. Naruto and the rest Konoha 9 don't know it nor do they realize it, they are so young and this is their first war. But Kakashi remembers. His father, who came back shamed and ridiculed, who set the switch, who took the plunge. This war has started and in two days has already begun to end. They, are losing.

Tobi – now Obito, who knew, he should've known – has tricked them into bringing Naruto in the fray. Only now does Kakashi realize why. When Sasuke steps out from behind the other man, it only makes sense.

Who better to catch the last jinchuuriki than the last Uchiha?

Because a fight between the two has happened before: back in the Valley of the End, where he found Naruto weak and unconscious and having lost his only best friend. That time he'd come late, tardy as always (he regrets so much himself.) It was back where the Uchiha fought the Senju. This fight has been prophesized, a ticking clock down of opposing sides or dare he think to say, fate. Obito, the poetic bastard. Naruto growls, he's losing it already at the sight of Sakura's killer so Kakashi tries to intercede.

(He thinks in his heart of hearts that he shouldn't be surprised Sasuke defected to begin with... that he killed Sakura. The red of his Sharingan or his cursed-Uchiha destiny - this was bound to happen.)

Chakra flames up in a burst heat, orange and white fire, Naruto's going to do what he's done to Pain.

 _No._

"I'm right here," Kakashi hurries. He points to those behind him – Sai, Hinata, the rest of the students of Konoha, and he speaks for them.

Sasuke is also here and Naruto must not lose himself. Sakura is gone and he has to save his last. The whole of Konoha is watching this fight because this is not something they can interfere, only enough interruption to bring back Naruto to Earth. If Kakashi were _then_ this wouldn't have happened, interruption wouldn't be needed. If Sasuke was-

Well; two out of two and a half.

Naruto blinks and Kakashi prays. The flash of yellow-orange-red dissipates from his eyes, leaving a blueish purple in its wake. He breathes, he calms, Kakashi's surprised at the speed with which he does and then frowns deeply. Because Naruto shouldn't need to do that and he shouldn't look like him. Kakashi turns his attention to his other 'student'.

Sasuke, he looks different, or maybe all the same. He wears the robes that Naruto's hunters wear, black and red clouds and Kakashi could be angry at the sight if he could feel. But numbing his hand and eyes is a darkness, a sinking premonition that this is beyond all his fault. That he couldn't have done anything to change this. The coats of death and pain, the bane of major villages it only fits too well: custom-tailored, waiting. Sasuke always looks like another Itachi.

And Kakashi's despondent at the sight of the last Uchiha because him standing there is proof he's failed his mission. _Them_ standing there are the perfect picture of Kakashi's mistakes together, lost and found.

Kakashi can't watch anymore. When he looks to his right Madara is occupied by Gai if only just barely. Kakashi sees the seventh gate from his vantage and he has to manually keep himself stationed, from moving to help him. They told him to stay here, that he is the only chance winning against three Sharingan. He is the hope to divert the part-Juubi. Naruto folds him in orange, the warmth of his chakra scratching surface deep and no deeper. Kakashi is the switchhand.

So however long Gai can hold Madara... he just needs the chance to change this and he can't abandon his post here for his village. Naruto needs to calm down before he fully loses himself, his chakra that is saving them all without their team medic, and his fox prisoner that must-not be captured.

When Obito says something to Sasuke's ear, the distance is too far to read his lips. The youngest Uchiha nods and doesn't respond before he slips away. Kakashi stares, blank and despondent to not give in to the fear he feels and make things worse.

 _Where is he going?_

He thinks the thought on everyone's mind, etched deep in Naruto's face but they can't search for him, Uchiha Obito is here. And when the Ten-Tails rumbles in its restraints, their attention is caught horridly. Kakashi braces himself, ready to Kamui out the way the hit that he knows is coming, and Naruto's chakra flares. The Juubi roars across the battlefield having free of Kitsuchi, the sound reverberates through his bones and his sandals. Hatake's a ninja but a primordial human being too - he's itching to flee.

The Ten-Tails makes its attack. Kakashi widens his eye too late until he finds his world has disappeared.

* * *

When he comes to, the other dimension is dark. He knows this but the sight still shocks him slightly, gives him pause even with his ninja senses on high alert. Kakashi can scope the shapes, white blocks against white and blue-gray, there are no colors here. It's a dimension that is blank and cold, lifeless other than himself. And aside from Obito, he's learned. "I don't need Naruto," the man's voice echoes.

Kakashi pauses. In the motion of slipping a kunai into his hand, Lightening Cutter, he's decided, these four words give him pause. He's already in doubt of what he has to do, in what he must finish for the second time… Listening to his former teammate isn't helping. "The Ten-Tails is unstable, Obito."

"And I know Rin wasn't your fault."

Again. Damn. As a ninja he prides himself having learned to appear unaffected, but meeting his old teammates again is screwing him over. Kakashi purses his mouth underneath his mask, flinching internally at the words. He studies the dimension he's in, stares at the white blocks and waits for the attack.

"Why?" _Why all of this? Why do this?_

"If you think my reasons are because of you and Rin, don't flatter yourself," Obito says. He dodges a kunai to his right and he steadies his hand.

"This world is corrupt, long before you and me. It needs change."

Of course. His mind has not swayed (like before.) He's part the same as himself as a kid and the thought brings a skip to Kakashi's stomach. "And Naruto?" he has to ask.

"Naruto…" Obito says. "He's bound to Sasuke and Sasuke to him."

Kakashi blinks in thought.

"Sasuke will kill Naruto." He says this as a statement.

A breath of a pause, quiet and heavy, something's wrong and it's then that Obito _laughs_. Insane and high in sound, tittering and nothing like the boy he knew, Kakashi frowns. There's a joke all on him and yet he doesn't get it, it's not funny. When his former teammate stops laughing, it scares him, he doesn't want to hear the real reason why-

"Only that? They will kill each other." Kakashi gasps despite himself. Too late, his teammate has heard. "That hurts, doesn't it? It's worse than you could ever dream. Naruto could become like Sasuke… and Sasuke has become you."

He swears, "Kai!" and Obito laughs again.

"Kakashi- _sensei._ "

Their kunai clash. Finally, the man comes out of hiding. A flash of fingers. He meets him Katon for Katon, the heat brings color to this blank world, light and fire shine on his face. The heat tear-burns his eye. Obito's scar is starkly visible through his Mangekyou, grotesque and red, bright flamed red.

"You taught them well."

"Obito!"

His flame puffs out, and then darkness. Quickly; his foot meets fist and meets a familiar guard, he flips away. Then when the man appears from under him he diverts the upper-cutting kick, sends his former teammate flying. Kakashi lands and faces him, he takes the two-finger stance of the academy like Minato has taught them.

"You're wrong. Naruto will-"

"Save him? Are you sure?" Obito picks himself up with difficulty, his legs dragging on the floor. For some reason… Kakashi doesn't take the advantage. Frozen in his thought process, he can only listen with trepidation when his friend speaks the truth. "He killed our Rin."

"He's not like us, Naruto's not like any of us," Kakashi speaks quietly. He's thinking and deftly remembering – the guilty pained look on Minato's legacy – he's _doubting_ and he tries to forcefully remind himself, his voice rising louder. "He's stronger… better, Obito, if you'd believe in him."

Kakashi tells himself this.

"Oh, I do." The ninja looks wary with confusion and a little surprise. Having risen, Obito shrugs. "He's something different. Special. Sasuke knows this."

"Then-"

"If Sasuke doesn't win, Naruto will - at least one of them will not leave that fight alive. You should hope that it's not Sasuke."

Kakashi dodges the sudden hit, he blinks in this information and he retreats to ready his hand. The electricity… it comes slow and with half-focused effort, blue sparks crackling in intermittent spurts. It surges and it settles like it's something alive, yet slowly dying. He knows he shouldn't ask.

 _Obito..._ "Why?"

Obito chuckles long and low, and the sound will forever haunt. "You know the old tale. Because Sasuke will make sure Naruto kills him if he can't win. It's his revenge, isn't it?"

Kakashi swallows, he shakes his head emphatically, he glowers his teammate. "Don't-"

"And if Naruto's as loyal as you say… he'll kill his best friend and then himself." Kakashi's mind clicks horribly loud. He blinks in quick succession, his chakra outbursts blue in a scare flare and his heart cinches in his throat. His breath can't come up, all he can do is watch with one eye this, _no, no…_

"You don't believe he'd commit suicide? Like your dad?"

Lightening cuts. A high scream of negative charge, Obito bats away the move; Kakashi let him. His thunder spikes into the ground, wasted and sucking the blue energy from his hand.

"This was going to happen all over again for you. Everyone. Shitty, isn't it? Now you know why."

His clone _pops-!_

* * *

Of course, he doesn't find him. Obito has always been a slippery one, past Obito, current, future (and Kakashi knows he wouldn't have found him anyway.) Two weeks of searching, or of time-wasting, each step fully aware the distance he is from the village and from Sasuke. Kakashi walks with a heavy weight made heavier each day. He turns back as late as he could, this is his mission and he must-not run.

…will he sit and watch? No. He'll be in the stands where the Sandaime is, sentry behind the Kazekage, waiting. He'll be too busy to look at _him_.

Kakashi tells himself this.

* * *

As far as his internal clock tells him it's six in the morning (he came back too soon.) Kakashi walks himself to the Uchiha grounds on rote and he doesn't bother to stop his legs from where they go. It's the guilt, he's actually feeling, it's self-mutilation, and it's exactly what he deserves.

He doesn't expect the kid to awake however, most genin rest their days up to the exam in preparation… then again, Sasuke is not most genin. When he finds himself sensing Sasuke's chakra on the lake, he's only a little surprised. Kakashi follows to where he is, and Shiro is not there. He watches on perplexed from his distance a little ways away and Sasuke continues to perform katas he's never even seen with his Sharingan. The Hatake's hidden his chakra well deep in himself so as to not startle the other and he watches. He thinks, maybe these are hidden clan techniques that he's not supposed to encounter anyway - it's the only possible explanation. He doesn't move from his place watching.

Quick movements that seem something along the lines how Naruto would fight, random and scattered, and ordered and formless. Opposite Sasuke's graceful style and the little the kid's picked up on from himself. The kicks and punches are meant to be followed with his whole body, the water he splashes are his imaginary opponents. Sasuke, he thinks, is oddly chasing his own tail. It's a dance that's unfamiliar and the reason behind unclear… and that poisons leaden fear through Kakashi's veins. _What is he doing? Why?_

Kakashi suddenly makes his presence known and his chakra intent comes alive. When he walks down to the bank, cautious and watching Sasuke carefully, Sasuke glances him for a moment before returning to whatever he's doing. The elder ninja blinks.

"You're back." The surprise in his voice is evident, the tension rearing its head in the way Sasuke slashes the moving water with vehemence. Kakashi isn't threatened by a twelve-year-old but he's not stupid, he can pick up on the message.

"You're self-training."

Another punch, this time facing his direction. Sasuke smoothly flows back into his katas after that (he must've done this awhile.) Kakashi guesses he kind of deserves this. "Where's Shiro?"

"Home," he spits curtly.

"And what are you doing?"

It's then that Sasuke looks him in the eyes. Kakashi at his distance aways from the lake couldn't notice this, too minute a detail to really see. Now, however. His eye widens, his body flashes cold, and Sasuke smirks slowly. _No…_

"Only one eye," he tells him, the sentence is deafening in his mind. Sasuke shrugs, both disappointed in the tense mouth his teacher gives and stiffly proud, his chest jutted. The Uchiha studies him then, purposefully showing off that his Sharingan is spinning and like he says, in one three tomoe. A challenge. A wait for his approval. He doesn't seem to realize that his sensei's frozen to his sandals, horrified to the core by his "success".

Kakashi tries truly, to get a grip on himself and the utter fear that he feels itching up his spine, leading his hand. His heart sounds deafening, the thumps race and ring loud in his ears and he can feel his blood whir. His fist clenches until nails bite through his issued gloves. He manually stomps the part of him that is ninja - quick, reactive, decisive in mission and taking no-chances. Sasuke continues, unaware.

"I'm training to get the second one," he says, the confident Uchiha in him boasting proud that he's shocked his teacher this much. Smug, smirking and in a small way, happy. He is being uncharacteristically forthcoming... innocently honest. Kakashi swallows because this just isn't fair. He knows the kid expects some kind of praise for his hard work but he can't turn himself away from the red and black and red. Kakashi can't let this go. His mind is spinning, making connections, saying things he doesn't want to believe.

Sasuke's almost thirteen, the same age Itachi was. He's not young.

He's not compromised.

" _Where._ " Kakashi demands darkly and Sasuke flinches at the danger in his tone, he's viscerally appalled. But the upstart child/ninja doesn't follow his order, the Uchiha scowls his upset and disobeys… scoffing to his face. He huffs, a pseudo-laugh that is empty and directed at him. Sasuke doesn't care for his authority.

"Sasuke. I'm serious. Where are you learning this." _From_ who?

"What's it matter to you anyway?" he growls bitter underneath his breath, his chin facing down into the water. Something in his tone confounds Kakashi, but Sasuke promptly furrows his brow and kicks at the lake. His eyes spin faster and blink with speed, his tomoe wheel into what seems a uniform circle… the eyes are all Kakashi can look at – power and intent danger all in one. The ninja stills, afraid.

(Of this and those eyes. Of himself and what he may have to do-)

"It matters." Unfortunately. "This is dangerous," he finishes lamely. Kakashi says this and he breathes deeply with forced calm. He attempts to push down the panic churning in his abdomen where he can feel his heart hammer faster downward, decisive, and the clock is rapidly ticking.

He thought he'd taken away time from Sasuke only to find Sasuke has stolen time from him.

Or from himself.

Too proud and too pissed… at his teacher Kakashi thinks as he watches, he begins assesses the kid as an enemy. He doesn't make his intentions known (he doesn't pull out his own same Sharingan.) However his body fully faces the kid, his hands tingle in their gloves, Kakashi's ready on guard. Sasuke glowers him with those red eyes and it only cements the suspicions manifesting. Because having those eyes - that eye - only _one more step away_ means he needs to be stopped. Now. His kid is growing… too damn fast. Kakashi believes this. Right?

 _But he's just a kid…_ something says, that inner voice is loud among his memories. Almost thirteen is twelve, is tiny and only reaching his vest pockets by the tufts of soft, black hair. Little cousin of Obito and still a student, the child stills on the water as he respectfully waits for him to finish speaking, stuffing his fists into his shorts pockets. Sasuke's angry but he hasn't yelled at him yet: Uchiha clan and revenge and the pain of loneliness. Sasuke's training but he hasn't _done-anything yet_ and something is wrong the way where Kakashi thinks… because he's still just a kid. This works funny with his logic center, it's coming from somewhere _stupid_ and it sounds a lot like Naruto.

 _It's only one eye._

And then the other one if the training Sasuke's doing has anything to offer, 'the number one rookie', if he goes by the way the Uchiha breathes harshly with sweat beaded off his brow, still glaring at him. And then the Mangekyou… Kakashi thinks: _not yet, not now, not here, but his other students, it_ **_will_** _come to be._

The ninja forces his hand into his pockets, he slouches with exaggeration and fakes a big, lying yawn. "Well, I can't make you tell me, that's your choice."

Sasuke frowns, confused.

"You're old enough to know what you're getting into," he says with a practiced shrug.

"Why do you say it like that?"

"Hm?"

"Nevermind." Sasuke grunts.

Kakashi shrugs his shoulders cracking the kink in his neck on purpose, the sound cuts half the atmosphere. Sasuke relaxes in his presence by promptly resuming his katas, deftly ignoring him. Without his teacher interrogating the tension that itched is gone. But that doesn't mean he's done. Because Kakashi's made a temporary miscalculation, he realizes as he watches, he doesn't need to particularly _ask_.

"Carry on," he waves flippantly.

* * *

Kakashi follows him.


	10. Chapter 10

"Shiro." Shiro wakes and the first thing he sees is Alpha Kakashi's packmate, pajama-clad and shaking him. The warm hand on his right flank feels so good he lets himself fall over and his limbs splay. Shiro knows from experience that this isn't what packmate wants, he can see his human face frown and dark eyebrows slant, a trickle seeping of the feeling he gets when there's a fly buzzing in his ear. But he doesn't mind it any. Instead, Shiro wolf grins at packmate… Pakkun's told him that this works, a cute smile and a wiggle of his butt fur and defenses open that even the hardest, most serious shinobi can't help themselves but to give in. Especially Kakashi. Shiro curls his paws forward and hangs his tongue, lopsided waiting for his due petting. In response packmate scowls, but not to be threatening.

"No, Shiro. I'm not giving you a belly rub," packmate shakes his head fur and removes his warm hand. Shiro whines his upset. "Up. We have to go."

The ninken grumbles his protest but dutifully rolls over onto his four paws. He stands, he pats his farewell to the warmth spot of the bed and then pads his way off the mattress. Packmate leaves quietly, and Shiro thinks that in this case Pakkun was wrong. Sasuke never falls for those tricks.

But that doesn't mean he doesn't care. When he follows the human he scents the slight salt in the air… the thin hint of something pickled and sour and he understands in an instant. His tongue wags and his mouth salivates because Umeboshi is his favorite, and the flavor of the dried plum is so _newunique_ to his canine senses it makes his claws tingle. The scent picks him on alert, he rushes ahead through bare feet because if he gets there first then it's his (not to mention Kakashi packmate will grunt non-threateningly, waving his human paw and let him have it.) Alpha Kakashi never lets him eat anything but standard, nutritional kibble and maybe some pieces of bacon. Boring. Goes for Pakkun too.

So when Sasuke brings the plate down to the floor, two rice balls made just for him, Shiro decides that Sasuke is effectively his favorite. He's stingy when it comes to sharing and wants the bed all to himself but okay, _sometimes_ he'll pet him… And still feed him what he wants.

"Finish this and I'll be going soon," he says shortly. Shiro huffs. He knows where packmate's going, the same place he goes every morning and he's not dumb, he doesn't need a reminder. In fact – Shiro gobbles what's left of his onigiri lapping his tongue for the aftertaste of sweet alcohol in the aged fruit, sharp in edge and delightfully curious to his senses. He enjoys himself before he brushes himself off, a ruffle of fur and a cursory swipe of his teeth until he's ready. He'll follow Sasuke today, he's been fed and slept too much. It's boring in there where he's going, nothing to hear or smell around them but it's more boring alone. Shiro chases after packmate to their bedroom; Sasuke prepares.

* * *

First, it's always the empty smell. The noticeable lack is jarring to Shiro's senses, he sniffs and sniffs the air ineffectively until his nose hurts and his nostrils scrunch stuck. Packmate minds him none, continues down the papered hallway and if Shiro doesn't hurry he'll be left behind. The ninken begins to sprint.

Sasuke enters a large room but he knows where to go, a far paper mat where it smells the least like anything. There were people here, a lot if Shiro goes by the open space from his small body but not many went to where packmate is heading. Small hands peel the tatami mat from the flooring easily and the puppy wags his tail in anticipation when familiar stairs reveal. Cold stone against his paws, a dank, mineral taste – it's a dungeon down there. Even for his canine sight, pitch dark. Packmate doesn't mind so today Shiro doesn't either, he follows his human down the steps.

The further they go it only gets darker, and the lacking scent has him blinder with each step. His flank brushes Sasuke's leg and the slight touch helps, reminds him that pack is here. Shiro watches as his human activates his chakra minutely when they meet another door, this time a large un-binding stone in the middle of their way. He feels warm to his tail at the rush of familiar chi.

Sasuke's eyes glow red, Shiro can see it grab his attention and the blocking stone of a door makes a _click_. It rumbles alive, shivering and grinding itself open in order to make way for them. Shiro is curious at the technology, and still the lack of live scent, and how Sasuke activated the gate with just his eyes? He noses packmate's feet through his sandals, Sasuke glares him a little and Shiro snuffles. When the great block has finished moving he rushes ahead first before his human.

It's too cold. Even with his fur there's something more than temperature that makes him antsy, has him walking low to the ground and a growl growing in his chest. He sniffs at the dark stone floor searching, but the thing he's looking for smells to be everywhere? Shiro whines in confusion, looking up only to find a dark maze of pipes in the ceiling. Nothing. The coolness already is making his leg itch even with the two flames he finds at the backs of the walls. Fires that Sasuke hasn't lit, fires that are somehow still burning in their torches and the uncanniness of it all has his animal senses barking at him. The ninken has to force his paws forward – one pad, two – until he's glued to packmate again, the only natural thing in this cave. Packmate walks himself deep because he comes here to _read_ , and the great black Uchiha stone tablet is at the end of the cave.

Carved kanji writing even and elegant that Shiro can tell is engraved all over the table, and in a placard against the wall. Shiro can't read yet but Pakkun can, and there's a speech written here with the Uchiha pack creed, he's guessing on the placard. Two red and white fans aren't enough to reflect the light here though he thinks they're just decoration maybe. If a distinguished Uchiha manages to get in here to begin with, they won't need light.

"Shiro, can you even read?"

He grumbles at him. _I can't even see!_

Packmate huffs air through his nose and Shiro can recognize the sound as laughing. It's a happy sound because this is Sasuke's favorite place, with the Uchiha markings everywhere. It's home. The ninken bumps his head against the stone investigating any scents he _could_ read and then he pads a few steps back. Packmate squats to his level, and Shiro wags his tail.

"It's saying a riddle, Shiro. There's a long story behind the words, something archaic and outdated by now, I'm guessing. Even if I can read it I don't understand it but I'm betting it wasn't important information anyway. Someone once told me that here is where you'll find the purpose of the doujutsu that the Uchiha clan originally served, the Uchiha's true power." Subdued a little by the tone of his voice calm and older than his years, Shiro sits on his haunches to listen. He doesn't get it, but packmate does and is for once interested in interacting with him.

"Whosoever gains this power will lose. Wheresoever they lose they will never. The armored samurai will rise high with new eyes. And mixed blood is the fourth stage. I pieced that together but I could still be wrong. I don't even know what half of it means."

 _Me too._ Shiro makes a sympathetic noise.

Packmate continues. "But I know he's right. This is the Uchiha's true power. And the only way I can beat him is with this power like he said. The only way I can get stronger is from here, and win against everything against me." Sasuke breathes deeply. With his ears perked, the puppy can hear him whisper. "But I don't really want to. Not if I don't have to. It just wouldn't make any sense..."

His human rises suddenly and stretches his arms high like a cat, long and boneless and more flexible than he seems. Shiro rises too on his cue and spins in a cursory circle.

"Gods, I don't know why I told you all that. You're just-" Shiro barks in dare and Sasuke scoffs. "-tiny." He starts a small, throaty growl in upset and rakes his nails on stone, raising a racket of noise.

"Shiro." Shiro whines louder and his claws feel numb with the cold and lacking give from the metal floor.

"Stop that, I get it that you're upset." He barks in succession until his voice echoes in this chamber. Packmate sighs. "But I'm right. We're both tiny. To him, not even worthy enough to kill. Plus I can't stop him from coming back and taking everything away again-"

"Arf!"

"Would you stop that, it's ringing my ears," Sasuke complains, hands cupping the sides of his head. He gives his temples a massage rub and Shiro can't _stomach_ it, the tone of his voice and the whispering scent of cowering: coming from him is the smell of a dog that has forgotten its nature, something ranker than domestication. His nose itches horribly because it's a scent resigned, too even in calm that it's unnatural and he hates how it sours, so the ninken makes himself known if that's the last thing he can do. He will not stand to be beta to an alpha like this, to a human who's already given up.

When he doesn't stop barking the puppy can tell he's beginning to annoy this human. He promptly keeps at it.

"Tch. You think you can beat my brother or something? You think you are better than him?" Sasuke's mouth twists wrong. It's not a smile but it's not a frown, his teeth aren't showing but it has Shiro growling in challenge all the same. His lips turn up one corner as if he were to begin a snarl and from his human height packmate looks down on him. This itches Shiro at the joints of his bones, something deciding before he even had a chance to prove his place; he hates when Sasuke does this. Underestimate him.

 _Yes._ He barks.

"Well, you're wrong. You and Kakashi. Both of you are going to be the death of me. Why do I even listen to you...?" Sasuke seems to ask himself. He turns his head and makes another sigh.

 _No!_ Shiro speeds until he's in front of the human because he's not going to lose his attention like this. A nip to open toes that packmate expectedly dodges, but he's been aiming for some movement anyway. Anything but this still acceptance.

"Come on, Shiro, enough. You've made your point," he says and something about his speech gives the ninken pause. Serious in its intention, he can hear the finality and knows this to be an order. Only Sasuke's facing away from him now, Shiro doesn't like that, the speed with which he walks to the door. He stands confused to his paws for a moment because the tension between them dissipated so quickly. And just as fast does the cold re-enter his fur and his skin, Shiro runs after him.

And even without his canine senses he could hear. "'Whosoever gains this power will lose,' hm?"

* * *

Shiro can smell it explode. Instantly it wets the air with a stenched poison, tingling the hair on his back and legs. His tail droops, his ears meld themselves deep into his skull and he lowers his flank because this smell is acrid, impervious, everywhere – somebody please make it stop. He whimpers and tries to move closer to packmate because that is what he is trained to do, protect his pack. But the closer he gets the more the smell sharpens, until Shiro wants to scratch his nose off until it bleeds. The fear is sour and coming from him, but he's not trained against this.

There's a heavy drop – _the pipes_ – and then steps moving closer, slower, closing in and the both of them back away slowly. The fires at the sides of this cave don't help, shadows only flicker across this newcomers face, the majority of this human cast in darkness. His nose doesn't help too, all he can smell is profuse sweat, salt and hormones and flight-flight-flight! Shiro, who wants to escape dearly but he can't move, simply because packmate can't move.

" _Ita-_ "

"Sasuke."

 _Oh._ It's Alpha!

The relief in him is instantaneous, he can feel his muscles relax and go boneless. Packmate behind him hasn't gotten the memo however, his fear only heightens and Shiro thinks he can hear his little heart hammering.

"Kai!"

"I'm afraid not."

"How the hell did you get in here?" Sasuke finally takes a step forward. So does Alpha. When the low flame glows across his mask, still the man hides his scent, the ninken can see his hitai-ate is gone. A rare kind of Kakashi, the silver of his hair reflect red-orange and his left eye is freely open. Sharingan out, like his own Sasuke.

Packmate realizes this and warns. "You're not allowed."

"Oh? And you are?"

Shiro can smell when Sasuke's scent changes. Sudden and surprised and unsurprised and resigned, and there's a skip to his heart beat but the puppy doesn't understand what's going on, why are they looking at each other like that? Something's not right because Alpha doesn't change his walk, and Shiro's been on hunts before. Those times pack hunts on wild animals were a teamwork affair, mostly consisting of ambushing and this time is no different. Except that it is. This is not supposed to be a hunt – packmate is not prey – there's something _felinepredatorywrong_ about the man's walk, his long legs and the way he doesn't so much as acknowledge Shiro's existence as he normally would. His eyes are a hunter's eyes, even that Sharingan, both are focused completely on Sasuke.

This makes the ninken nervous.

"That has nothing to do with anything," he speaks slowly and with special emphasis. "This room was made Uchiha-only. That Sharingan is not yours."

"I'm not too sure I follow, Sasuke. This has everything to do with everything, doesn't it?" Kakashi gestures with a nod of his neck beyond himself.

When he walks closer his talk is slow but not soothing, thick like the poison sap of Konoha's trees. The puppy makes a disjointed connection in his mind, a sudden and electrifying click – it's the calm before the storm. An instinctual message that he can't understand or explain, these words are _dangerousbadscary_ , but it's coming from Alpha and it's going to packmate so the little ninken has no idea what to do. Who to go to. Kakashi is his father and Sasuke is his brother; Kakashi let him away to the genin and Sasuke, with a little time, let him stay – why are they speaking to each other like this?

For ninken, this is an anomaly. Shiro realizes communicating in such a manner is strictly a human thing. Upset with another dog is settled with an open challenge, sometimes loud barking, little times a jaw fight. Disputes are over pack hierarchy and mealtime order, desired mates or territory. "Disputes" are for play, messing around for _fun_. It's never like this.

The puppy whimpers in fear. Even Shiro knows packmate's too young to challenge Alpha. Too young to win. Shiro knows Kakashi knows this as a fact. And yet they look like they're going to fight, the universal spark of conflict in the air, in their eyes. He can feel something like warring dominance, foreign, strange animosity in the pits of his belly because he's of an emphatic species, they are pack, and he begins to pant. It's an itchy, uncomfortable confusion when the air tells him to roll over and expose his flank to _submit_ , yet at the same time widen his stance and growl his noise. What in the world is going on? Neither of them seem to hear him, hear each other.

"I wasn't going to."

Sasuke doesn't seem to say this with intent, the sound is much like Shiro when he rushes to swallow something that didn't particularly taste good. A mistake. Shiro doesn't know what they're talking about exactly, but he can sense packmate in front of him, an unknown horror in the absolute still of his body, frozen unnatural. He's standing dead. The puppy doesn't want him to look like this, he butts ineffectively at Sasuke's legs, motion, attention; life, anything.

"I- I _wasn't_." The boy sounds cracked of submission, pleading.

"You weren't. Of course."

"I'm not weak; I'm not like him. I don't need it. Sensei-"

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. You're not supposed to be here at all."

Packmate changes tone so quickly it gives Shiro mental whiplash. His furry body priming this to be over soon and forgotten in the back of their minds because pack never challenges against an Alpha they can't win. Never. Except Sasuke. He's the one who bites when he's cornered, attacks when he's scared. "I know that and I told you I wasn't!"

Kakashi stares him down, Shiro can feel the weight of his gaze second-hand. "And yet," he says simply.

There's something not being said here, not in the way the words stopped but there in the silence of the room itself, smothering and gagging and one of the pipes is a little loose that droplets hit the floor with a ring that echoes in his ears. His ears that are hypersensitive because his body is tense on guard and he can hear when packmate decidedly stops shaking. When Sasuke makes a rustle shoving one hand into a pocket the other hand raises high and splayed. It is a weapon-less palm that faces Kakashi, like submission-surrender. Mocking him.

Sasuke huffs in poor humor and Shiro can bet the same smirk/not-smile on his face, no-teeth but threatening. "You got me there, Kakashi," the teen concedes with a shrug of an ease surprising, waving away a pass of his hand. Flippant. Deliberately disobedient. Shiro wants to bark at him to stop, don't act like this, don't do this because it is not appropriate behavior towards an Alpha. It is a lie. But his jaw is locked, his tongue tied and the puppy in him feels too little to speak.

"Just what do you think I'm gonna do, huh?"

"I don't know, Sasuke, what are you going to do." Alpha demands his answer, his voice low. No jokes. He doesn't appreciate the gesture. Shiro whimpers, shuffling in his feet and stamping the cold out where he stands because there's no place he can hide. "I come back to find you with a highly advanced Sharingan and then this. What do you expect me to think?"

" _You_ wouldn't teach me."

"I'm afraid you're the one who doesn't learn."

"I can learn. I know how, better than Sakura will ever be. And I'm not an idiot like Naruto." He turns his face away, deliberately ignoring their Alpha. "You just didn't want to share in your power, so."

"Everything is just power to you, is it?"

"The hell it is."

Kakashi sighs. The sound is fake, put-upon bored like he's tired of how long this is taking, like he wishes for it to be over, Shiro fears. "You did say it yourself. You need power to get your revenge. It doesn't matter what I teach, it wouldn't be enough. Because you want the most against the one who wronged you, your brother; you want to kill him. Distance is just an idle thing for you. Which is it, which one is "closer": Naruto or Sakura? Is it Shiro?"

Red eyes alight like flames. "I said I wouldn't!"

"Hmm, you're right. It doesn't make any sense. To find you here and listen to you defend yourself when you don't even know the half of what you're talking about."

The words make Sasuke pause, hopefully long enough for him to think, the ninken pleads. He doesn't want any more trouble. They're still talking but the chakra rises in the air he breathes, it tastes like burning and sour gray, fire-burst and the steady crackle of electricity. It makes his mouth water like he's hungry, the backs of his teeth foam and overflow because despite him not wanting of this he has been trained to kill, his body knows itself what to expect. He is a canine assassin, an aggressive-type animal, and their combined fight is shared. He wants this. Sasuke feels the same, in the way the hand in his pocket clenches and release.

Kakashi… he can't read at all. The fact forms a well of apprehension in his soft underbelly, one that churns and boils until he wants to rip apart something with his teeth from the sheer nerves. It's indescribable the pain, he never wants to pick sides but his _Alpha_ isn't suggesting a course of action. Sasuke is angry and Alpha stands there: unmoving, unfeeling, blank like white scroll paper he's quiet and tall and nothing in his eyes.

Shiro whines pathetically in the back of his throat.

(Not that that will stop Sasuke. Packmate will not be tamed, he will not be swayed because he is past the point of fighting over territory. He is fighting over something else. It is a feeling beyond Shiro, maybe he thinks something of cats, stiffy-regal and upright as they are, in the strutting swagger where they walk. Something that doesn't exist, yet is disappearing by the minute.)

Sasuke makes a connection, the golden light of clarity heard in his voice like finding what was lost, remembering what was forgotten. "You were waiting," he says with a gasp of incredulity. Click.

Kakashi doesn't say anything in response.

Faster. Faster. Louder. "You _waited_ here. This whole time... waiting for me to do something. Waiting to watch me fall." When the man is silent, Shiro can see how packmate steadily grows red-faced in anger, where the veins of his ankles that he is trained to notice bulge with released sugars, and prepare themselves.

"Well?! What the fuck are you waiting for?! I'm here where you want me, _say something!_ "

The man remains silent. Sasuke glares and heaves but Kakashi doesn't react to him; Alpha doesn't blip in his scent at all. Sasuke stares until he realizes that Alpha won't respond to such words, he retracts in the way he straightens tall, pulling himself from the emotion of it all, and laughs. The sound is wrong to Shiro's ears, too high-pitched and cracked, wrought with pain every time he exhales. Laughing is supposed to be a happy sound; the ninken can see him half-smile thinly. "And still you won't say anything. Tch. Shoulda figured."

Before packmate could turn around and leave, without the ninken because he must stay _here_ , Kakashi speaks. "Let's not be hasty."

 _He won't let him leave._

Sasuke just as soon turns and barks, all sound and no depth like the dogs younger than him. "Quit joking around with me, you're not fooling anyone."

"I'm not."

"You say I don't know-"

"And you don't. You know nothing. Your clan perished when you were eight, your parents dead leaving you an orphan-"

" _Shut up, you have no right!_ "

"-maybe you still love your brother?"

Before Shiro could blink, the smell of burning, rancid and steam from the cold ground until the loose rocks rattle and clack each other, dancing. A flaming fireball in the enclosed chamber, gold-white burning to his eyes like the sun, like death staring him in the face and he feels small. It rumbles when it blows, alive and _roaring_ that the puppy trips and stumbles in his efforts to back away. This whole time he was scared along with Sasuke, scared of what Kakashi might think from every word and action… but he thinks maybe he was mistaken.

Packmate is someone to fear too.

Alpha swiftly cuts the fire off with a blue hand – _gloved chakra lining_ – slaps Sasuke's mouth and with a single push sends him flying. There's a thick crash to the wall where packmate's met his back and he slumps down the rock to his feet. Shiro begins to bark, as large as his lungs can hold – more – but not loud enough to hear over Kakashi's footsteps.

 _No, stop this! Stop! Stop!_

"I don't understand you. And I don't know what to do with you. Really, Sasuke."

"Let me go!"

"And do what? And go where?"

"Let _go_ of me," Packmate twists and Kakashi lets him go, a release of a small wrist and smaller hands, they cup his head to the stone wall when he turns away from him, hiding away from his own. His Alpha. His teacher. His pack. There's a smell coming from him – _Sasuke,_ Shiro whines – the tang of salt in tears and cold sweat that only smells colder, sharper. Sasuke gasps a ragged breath. He hides his face in rock, red bit lip and scrunched eyes until Shiro can't see him anymore from where he's standing, he can only read him, read the one thing that slams his nervous system powerfully, settles itself deep like iron chains sinking. Something absolute and from Sasuke, burst out into the open in the latent chakra, burning hotter than his katon.

It hurts.

The ninken keens at the sheer feeling – _guiltloveshame **weakness**_ – packmate only falls into himself further from his sound, whipped dog and quick loss and having given up. He can't look his Alpha in the eyes, the puppy can't look at _him_ , but this isn't what Shiro meant by ending the fight, beaten submission.

This isn't a win. It's rank shame where he's small – ' _tiny,_ ' Shiro remembers – and he curls onto himself accepting his loss. He's embarrassed where his face is strained, and Kakashi pulls away with something the same, the red disappearing from his eye, his hand that twitches once.

"You do, don't you. Love your brother." he says with something like horror, blame. "Sasuke, you-"

"No," he croaks. "No, that has nothing to do with anything."

But he's wrong. In the way Kakashi spikes, his chakra makes itself known and finally his scent and his presence is alive. Packmate must be wrong. Shiro can feel how Alpha feels, _and it's the same like Sasuke_ , something darker in where he breathes calmly, measured and timed and heavy with the weight of the world. Something shamed. Alpha exhales one last time, a sigh that is more than just air. He makes his exit.

Shiro chooses. He doesn't go after him.


	11. Chapter 11

Kakashi is an anomaly.

He doesn't know what to make of him. He doesn't know what to do. Sasuke stays where he lays because he's been frozen still for hours he thinks, it's hard to tell time underground. He couldn't move for the five minutes that his teacher has left, his body limp and incapable, and his mind screaming at him. Then he didn't want to move from where he's curled and safe, here, with his family. And Shiro, who has been whining helplessly for the past half hour, who renews his sound with fervor upon realizing that Sasuke is cognizant; Sasuke is mobile.

"Shiro?"

He pads closer and the Uchiha breathes, natural dog scent and cold sweat, something like himself.

"You didn't go with him," he croaks. It is the first thing he thinks to say, the second main thing on his mind and a kinder thought than what he's already been thinking. Sasuke runs his hand along Shiro's flank and the dog wags his tail slowly, idly, the white tip of it drooping to the floor. He doesn't expect an answer and he never really asked all the same. Sasuke only put the words out there if only to believe it better himself.

The fur underneath his fingertips is soft and runs like water, the evidence is right-here. But his brain can't fathom why.

Was this… a lesson?

He suddenly freezes at the thought. It's crazy, it's unbelievable, but it's also the only thing that could make even the smallest sense. Because there is no other excuse. Nothing. His mind goes blank while his hand moves on autopilot and his eyes, they spin and churn as if he could find the something he's missing. But he's a good ninja, he didn't mistake it. His own teacher intended to kill him… but more importantly, his own teacher had every right to.

He was found here, right?

It bothers him, the thought, it makes his hands shake as he passes up and down. Shiro pretends not to notice and Sasuke could thank him for that if he could speak. He can't though because he's too afraid to voice the thoughts rebounding in his head. Naruto and Sakura… they're his friends, they're his _friends_ and Kakashi caught him in the wrong place at the wrong time because they're his friends, and he would _never_. It's unfair to place the thought in his head and bury the shame in his mind when he didn't do anything yet. Making him step up to the plate when he wasn't even in line; he wasn't.

But who'd believe him?

Shiro snuffles and Sasuke blinks and shakes himself awake, barely noticing the other being near to him. He needs to breathe in order to keep consistent air flowing in and out rather than to panic and let this get to him. He's scared and Kakashi was right and his wrists still throb, reddened and bruised as they are from the singular grip of his teacher's hand. Shaking. Reminding that he's just a kid - "you're parents perished when you were eight" – and Kakashi's not, Kakashi's better, faster, _stronger_. He was locked in with an advanced killer to himself, somebody as good as his brother. All that training for nothing. Sasuke was beaten so easily, so quick, with only the flash of a red eye to warn him and the single crackle of blue starfire – electricity.

Chidori.

Shiro shoots up when he can hear his heart hammering in quick bursts, he's going to go into a heart attack at any moment.

"Arf! Arf-arf!"

" _Shut up!_ "

His worst nightmare come to life, he thought the job would have finally been finished! He thought he was going to die.

From his own teacher in such a way… it's too awful and it's burning him, here, _here_! No one would have known. The act remaining underground and hidden and secret, scares him the most. It was too convenient. More than just the quirky, mysterious anomaly he is as his teacher, this was not normal, it was personal; Kakashi had been waiting. Sasuke doesn't know what it means and he doesn't know what to do about it – not that he can _do anything_ – he doesn't know why the man decided to stop himself half way and leave him alive.

Maybe it's because Sasuke's weak. That's the lesson Kakashi taught, that must be the real reason. Sasuke's weak for having visited, he's weak for losing so quickly, his pride lost and ripped to shreds. He's weak for giving up in the face of death and he's weak for even _thinking it_... Sasuke deserves this kind of invasion every time. He's weak for wanting his brother back, even in the little hope that he was here with him in the vaults, for being okay when it turned out to be his teacher instead.

And then Kakashi just tried to kill him and he can't find it in himself to hate the man for it; this is happening all over again.

(He let him live, and that's the final nail in the coffin. He's letting him _run_.)

When another five minutes pass, Sasuke doesn't move. He gets up, removes his hand and adjusts himself methodically while Shiro perks up at his motion. Sasuke tells himself to walk and he does.

...

"He's nothing like me."

Kakashi says into the air so he can't take it back. Once it's spoken it's like the flood gates are open, everything else follows.

"Looks nothing like me, too. Angrier. Loud. Strong. On the same team seven and yet he's an unprecedented surprise in the legacy. More than us, he's a growing boy. He's different. Well."

Yes, he should tell him everything even the bad, Kakashi thinks rightfully, nodding to himself. "He's rude, too, if you must know. He's a brat. Nothing like his brother, he is, but that doesn't mean much. He's such a smart kid. He's teaching me instead of the other way around so in that sense he's just like him," Kakashi looks onto the gray stone and today it isn't raining, only breeze and swaying grasses and the occasional bit of sunshine that disappears when a cloud overhead has passed.

"Maa, where have I gone wrong…" a bird whistles in the background, calling to him. He closes his eyes.

"Would you have done the same?"

"No, you wouldn't, of course you wouldn't. You wouldn't even think it. You were a better man than I remember, than I am." The block of gray stone stills and speaks nothing.

But Kakashi speaks all.

"If you could hear me now, tell me. What would you do, hm? Would you do this? How would you do this? I'm not like you, not even close, it's been years and I still haven't figured you out. I'm not good at this and I never was no matter the circumstances. So I'm asking you. Would you have done the same thing: twice?"

He's begging. "Didn't you regret?"

After a moment, Kakashi nods minutely. "Of course you did, now I understand a little better what you felt. You chose to carry the shame. It killed you in the end but better that than to have lived hating yourself, always wondering 'if'…" he trails and his eyes go dull, wandering.

Kakashi inhales once shakily.

"Dad. I wonder."

His body is still and the wind whistling rings in his ears, overly loud over the sound of his heart beating. It's a scary thing to admit this aloud as if his growing suspicions become more real in words.

"I'm thinking and I can't stop thinking. It's killing me. To know things I shouldn't know because of this gift, I regret the person I became. I never wanted this; I never wanted to know. I wanted to follow orders like a proper ninja should, never to think."

He always wanted a simple life away from scrutiny. A life like the protagonists of Jiraiya's books. He's an unlucky soul, that's for sure; Kakashi huffs half-heartedly in amusement.

"Sasuke makes me think. I know you'd be happy to hear that, you always said I was the same for you. That everything changed. Became more complicated. But I'm not the same person that you raised. I don't know why, it takes two deaths for one lesson and I was made teacher wrongly when I haven't finished learning yet."

Kakashi clenches his fist, and his gloves crackle leather between his fingers. "So where are you now? Do you still regret? Where are you when I need you? If you'd been alive to see him you would-"

He can't move his lips. His shoulders are shivering and he needs to _breathe_.

"Would you hate me? I wonder."

The ninja looks up to the sky and watches the clouds roll. One hand raises itself, slides the knot free of his headband, catches the metal before it could fall. He looks at the engraved branding, memorizes the notches into iron where the grooves swirl. Then, he peels off his mask, slowly, painfully, and the air is shocking onto his bare skin.

"It turns out I was wrong about you. This is harder than it looks." Kakashi pockets the hitai-ate somewhere hidden and he tries not to think so much, tries to blink and keep his eyes clear. But his mind is loud, clanging and clashing two kunai from opposing ninja across distances, past and future.

Or maybe future and present, he thinks.

"I had one chance. Now I have none," he shrugs. There's a sadness in the realization of his statement, and it's not all guilt. It's a loss for himself that he can't explain, Sasuke is his kid but now-

Now he has to give to get.

(He could have had it all, he never had to make a choice, he didn't need to _lose_ , Kakashi thinks terribly.)

It's hurting him. "At the end of the day, I'm proud. I'm proud of him. I think? I'm sorry," the ninja clears his throat slightly, he slips the forehead protector hidden deep into one of his vest pockets. He shakes and closes his eyes.

He's realizing, "Now I wonder if this was the kind of world you wanted for me..."

The leaves rustle.

It's only moments later that a voice interrupts. "This is new," padding feet come up from behind him, settling at his left. Kakashi doesn't jolt, he falls into himself because he needs to maintain his stance, even if someone else is watching.

"Pakkun."

"Yo, boss," Pakkun says and raises a paw. Kakashi doesn't respond and doesn't move to acknowledge him, he stares resolutely at the grave before him. He knows his ninken must be strongly curious, must also scent the black dread leaden in his bones, until it takes all he can to keep his back straight, and his eyes dry and forward.

"I could smell you from a mile away," he says by way of explanation, though they both know his nose can cross leagues. "I was… surprised."

"Don't be."

"Okay," he huffs, then lumbers closer. Pakkun reads the engraving. His dad never made his name into the memorial stone, and at the time Kakashi was hard-pressed to find someone who'd cremate him properly. Even with his mask. That time he remembers, he sees clearly younger Kakashi, double-masked and no-Sharingan, and who didn't feel the need to make his father's cremation a priority. Who then shamed, turned and walked away. Traitor, they called him.

He's regretting a lot of things.

Pakkun speaks into the open. "One off the books, boss."

Kakashi double blinks at him.

The pug's dead face takes no questions, he squats with demand and makes his concluding stance.

"Now that I notice… you smell," he says and looks him directly in the eyes. Following where a tear has streaked, Pakkun can scent the dried salt from his place at the floor.

"I have my days," he admits.

"Hm," he looks at him meaningfully.

"I'm a little too old for this, don't you think?" Kakashi says as he obediently lowers himself onto one knee. Pakkun grunts. His eyes keep themselves on his father's name as he runs a gloved hand into cropped fur, and it's been a long, long time for this kind of feeling. He couldn't have refused in the state he was found and maybe that cements his ninken's worries, but at this point he doesn't care.

Something small is aligning, and he knows what he has to do.

 _Finally_.

They watch the trees in silence.

...

Time has run out.

This is what Kakashi thinks when he finds his student busy with preparations and fully back into training. He's moved himself onto one of the forest courts of the Uchiha grounds to practice kunai throwing. He aims and misses, again and again because his wrist is shaky and the ninja can see his mind swirling. Sasuke doesn't seem to notice, him or the bad aim, his hands simply pick up another.

He has to stop this.

"Sasuke."

The kid freezes and his hand twitches. Probably not the most ideal method to begin… Kakashi steps out into view to make himself known. He hasn't been hiding intentionally however, Sasuke's eyes were previously preoccupied.

They are onto him.

This is why those same eyes flinch and his kid makes one visible step back. Closely watching his descent with trepidation... Kakashi feels heavy with sorrow.

"What do you want?" he demands with vehemence but the ninja can tell that it's fabricated. A front. His kid's downright terrified of him and he has every right to be.

"I came here to talk," Kakashi says and Sasuke breathes as if his body is priming to run if he can. It's exactly what the jounin taught him should he encounter someone larger and stronger, and should he be alone. The first priority being life in one's escape.

But he doesn't want him to go.

"Sasuke. Please."

"Why should I?" he growls viciously. His breath's coming in faster now, panicked and a deep, residing kind of hate pulled from the depths to be directed at him. Something that's been festering. He twitches bodily as if he were to make the hand signs to attack again, but they both know the result of such an action.

But the intention to fight to the death, it spells everything.

"Why should I listen to _you_? Is there something else you're going to blame me for? Or did you come back… did you change your mind?" he asks with suspicion and his eyes widen minutely. Sasuke moves into position, he takes up the academy defensive posture smoothly and without hesitation.

Just like he taught him.

"Haven't you done enough?"

"I'm not here to hurt you."

"Like hell you are."

"I'm serious, Sasuke," Kakashi says with meaning, imbuing as much sincerity into his words and his body language. He shows his palms and inner wrists and then he slowly lowers himself onto one knee… shorter and not as largely intimidating for the teen. Should he still be on the offensive, in theory the man would be slow to act. In theory. It's a simple courtesy move, because they both know the ninja can dodge under any handicap.

Sasuke watches him carefully while Kakashi takes his silence as permission.

"I think we have a lot to talk about."

"Like what?"

"Like you."

He pauses at that, hesitantly surprised. Sasuke's always curious though he doesn't like to admit it, he's eager to learn and understand. Especially if it's anything more about himself. He seems to relax and his eyes meet his once more, alight with something like hope. The kid makes a visible swallow and a little bit of the anger easily falls from his face. Sasuke must've been tired of throwing kunai, fighting; cutting. Tired of training; being alone; running.

And Kakashi wants to steal the time from his eyes, where his kid has aged decades from betrayal upon betrayal. Sasuke, who lost the spare few childhood years he has as a genin, thanks to himself.

"I don't want an apology," the kid says in a fragile, small voice.

And that's the crux of the matter, isn't it? A grown adult like himself bullying this kid, shaming him makes him ashamed. More than that, Kakashi's here, the seeds of mercy has infected him, now he's going to do something _stupid_.

"I'm not here to apologize."

Black hair shifts until it covers a pale face almost completely. He looks small even from his perch on the floor, distinctly looking away from him.

"I'm here to tell you the truth."

Two black eyes, dark and large with youth – innocent – watch him openly.

"Sasuke. You want to get revenge for your family, don't you?"

"Yes. I-"

"That's why you trained there. I know."

He almost whispers, he presses, "I'd never." He struggles visibly, and it hurts to watch him hurt like this. "I wasn't, I _swear_ -"

"I know."

Sasuke makes an undefinable noise, ripped out of his throat and strangling him from the inside. He's breathing harshly now, something where this is deeper than it first seems. He's hurting. Kakashi's guilt sinks further into his chest, burying itself at the base of his spine where he bends. The motion catches those eyes, makes them flit nervously and he feels the expanse of his regret. Sasuke is suspicious of him... scared of him, watching him closely for any sudden movements or attacks, exactly like he taught him to. The realization is sickening.

 _Forgive me._

 _Sakura._

When Sasuke waits, and he waits for the child to compose himself as best he could, Kakashi cements his resolve. "Orochimaru," he says swiftly and the younger ninja blinks. "He'll give you the power to get your revenge. He can be your teacher."

He says this even though the words burn spilling out of his mouth, yellow rank and disgusting. This is wrong. To offer as an option the snake, the same sannin infamous for his experiments is revolting and goes against everything he's been told. Orochimaru is no teacher. He's a criminal. But Kakashi remembers that in another life Sasuke survived him, in the other life Sasuke killed him before his time ran out. He has to believe that the same can happen again.

Before him twin brows crumple and strain.

"W-what?"

Kakashi ignores him.

"He's currently posing as the Kazekage. He holds the intention to infiltrate Konoha from the inside and assassinate the Sandaime."

Sasuke's face goes tense and he scans his person for any hint of something, a lie, anything. But he won't find any masks here.

"How do you-"

"But most importantly, Sasuke? He's here for you."

He takes this in with wide eyes. Kakashi waits for the responding small nod.

"You know, don't you? Or maybe you can guess. Orochimaru will desire your body within the course of three years for his possession, specifically for the use of your Sharingan. He will need a body in order to complete his immortality; that is, in the form of you, Sasuke."

The kid's visibly confused. "Why are you telling me this? Why… why would you want me to go to him?"

The ninja clenches his teeth. _I don't._

 _But he's a better teacher than I've been._

He's doing the right thing, right? Kakashi ignores him. "He's given you the curse mark," Sasuke throws a quick palm over his neck on instinct and Kakashi nods sadly. "Yes. That's his way of giving you an incentive: a gift. The seal can be released, allowing you to access incredible power."

"You can borrow this chakra twofold, maybe with this you can," _kill your brother_. "-get your revenge."

Sasuke's quiet.

Kakashi, half-finished he subsides like a weight is lifted off of him. He opens his mouth to continue but his kid speaks loud into the open air. His voice is powerful when the forest is quiet.

"Is this a mission?" he asks, desperately.

Is it?

"No. No." Kakashi shakes his head slowly, and he can watch as Sasuke's face falls. The words coming out of his mouth, the option to actively betray their village is real, it's happening. This is now. _Traitor, traitor, traitor,_ his mind whispers. "This is opportunity," he says over himself. "I wanted you to have choice."

"What in the world are you _asking_ -"

"I want you to know that, hm, Sasuke? I tried to kill you." Sasuke gasps and the ninja's on a roll, from now he won't stop himself from speaking. "I really did. I thought your revenge has consumed you, so I made an attempt when the chance revealed itself. But maybe I was always wrong."

He's created the situation. Invented it. Perpetuated it. Distrust breeds distrust. Kakashi shouldn't have been surprised to find things turn out this way. He shouldn't have been surprised that when he continued to refuse to support, to ignore the problem, it came back with a vengeance. Earlier than the last time, even.

And now maybe he's too late.

Kakashi shakes his head of it.

"I-I don't understand?"

"Sasuke, come here."

The genin hesitates for a moment until he walks obediently where he is. Sasuke stands straighter than before, eyes past the top of his head, looking beyond himself. Kakashi steels his hands and then he removes his scroll from the first time, slowly, carefully. The crumpling sound it makes grabs at the Uchiha's attention.

He's made space on the scroll, granted only a small corner, the Hatake clan was never really much of a clan to begin with. Not enough to expect this.

Kakashi lays the white along the ground and the younger ninja is looking at him but he doesn't pay him any attention. "You know the deal."

"That's yours." He says like a statement.

"No. It's shared." He taps where he should sign, and Sasuke… Sasuke looks like glass.

"Why?" he asks him.

Kakashi doesn't know how else to say this. "You're a student from the fourth. You're a student from a sannin, and from the third himself. A ninja of the Leaf Village. You're my student – and that has to be enough. I believe in you." He looks him straight in the eyes. Something where the words roll off his tongue and tastes of bittersweet; he's still trying to believe.

Sunset pink behind his eyes... it's so _difficult_.

"And regardless of what I've done I trust and support in your decision. Do you understand me?" Sasuke nods quickly. "No matter what you decide to do from now on, I-" his voice is difficult through his mask, this is what he tells himself. "I'm happy for you."

He's going to lose him _again_.

"-now wherever you go, Shiro can always be called; Pakkun and the rest of my team too. They're available for you, anytime you need it." When Sasuke crumbles in face with the realization of what's being given, what's really happening, Kakashi can't look at him anymore.

"You're a smart kid." He shrugs lightly. "You don't need to hear this from me."

Instantly the smell of copper bursts in the air, and salt: copper and salt and the sound of paper strokes in tune with his heavy breathing. Finally. One gift in exchange for another, now he and Obito can be at peace. Sasuke takes his time and Kakashi doesn't make note of it, he looks away to give them the illusion of privacy. Courtesy.

When he's done, Sasuke tries weakly. "What about you? What are you going to do?" he asks the important question.

 _What's going to happen to you?_

And for the first time, Kakashi's free. His relief of the weight allows his mask to turn up, his belief in the course of time his eye to crinkle. "Well, it's out of my hands now. Maa, the next generation has already begun."

Kakashi smiles at him.

 _For better or for worse._

"You will change the ninja world."

* * *

 **A/N:**  
So. My first completed fanfic. I deliberately pulled quotes to score some tears (though I read this so many times I may have desensitized myself), and, well, now I think it kinda fits. If Naruto has a destiny as a hero, so does Sasuke, though what that specifically entails complicates things. Who knows?

There are some plot holes, I'm well aware of some of them, you are freely welcome to point them out, please, if you'd like. I'm still reeling over the fact that I actually finished something, wow, okay. Hopefully this chapter didn't come across as overly mushy/feeling-y, there's a lot of dialogue and confession here, so. I tried to be more subtle but I think I failed somewhere.

But at the end of the day, I wanted to say that this isn't a fix it. This is an end: an open-ending. Whether any of you think Sasuke will take this and grow up the same as he has or whether he'll change his course is entirely up to you, reader. I'm sorry if you were hoping something more conclusive, but I felt this was best.

Thanks for waiting, seriously, and thanks for reading,

-hanareader


End file.
